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  • 1
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Are all the sacred cows dead? : Implications of the financial crisis for macro and financial policies (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4807
    Parallel Title: Demirgüç-Kunt, Aslı Are all the sacred cows dead?
    Keywords: Economic policy ; Financial crises ; Economic policy ; Financial crises
    Abstract: "The recent global financial crisis has shaken the confidence of developed and developing countries alike in the very blueprint of financial and macro policies that underlie the western capitalist systems. In an effort to contain the crisis from spreading, the authorities in the US and many European governments have taken unprecedented steps of providing extensive liquidity, giving assurances to bank depositors and creditors that include blanket guarantees, and structuring bail-out programs that include taking large ownership stakes in financial institutions, in addition to establishing programs for direct provision of credit to non-financial institutions. Emphasizing the importance of incentives and tensions between short term and longer term policy responses to crisis management, this paper draws on a large body of research evidence and country experiences to discuss the implications of the current crisis for financial and macroeconomic policies going forward. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4807
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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    MPI Ethno. Forsch.
  • 2
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Month of birth and children's health in India (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4813
    Parallel Title: Lokshin, Michael Month of birth and children's health in India
    Keywords: Childbirth ; Children Health and hygiene ; Childbirth ; Children Health and hygiene
    Abstract: "The authors use data from three waves of the India National Family Health Survey to explore the relationship between the month of birth and the health outcomes of young children in India. They find that children born during the monsoon months have lower anthropometric scores compared with children born during the fall and winter months. The authors propose and test four hypotheses that could explain such a correlation. The results emphasize the importance of seasonal variations in affecting environmental conditions at the time of birth and determining the health outcomes of young children in India. Policy interventions that affect these conditions could effectively impact the health and achievement of these children, in a manner similar to nutrition and micronutrient supplementation programs. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4813
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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    MPI Ethno. Forsch.
  • 3
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Social health insurance vs. tax-financed health systems : evidence from the OECD (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4821
    Parallel Title: Wagstaff, Adam Social health insurance vs. tax-financed health systems
    Keywords: Health insurance ; Health insurance
    Abstract: "This paper exploits the transitions between tax-financed health care and social health insurance in the OECD countries over the period 1960-2006 to assess the effects of adopting social health insurance over tax finance on per capita health spending, amenable mortality, and labor market outcomes. The paper uses regression-based generalizations of difference-in-differences and instrumental variables to address the possible endogeneity of a country's health system. It finds that adopting social health insurance in preference to tax financing increases per capita health spending by 3-4 percent, reduces the formal sector share of employment by 8-10 percent, and reduces total employment by as much as 6 percent. For the most part, social health insurance adoption has no significant impact on amenable mortality, but for one cause-breast cancer among women-social health insurance systems perform significantly worse, with 5-6 percent more potential years of life lost. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4821
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 4
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Leveling the intra-household playing field : compensation and specialization in child labor allocation (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4822
    Parallel Title: V. Del Carpio, Ximena Leveling the intra-household playing field
    Keywords: Child labor ; Transfer payments ; Child labor ; Transfer payments
    Abstract: "This paper analyzes changes in the allocation of child labor within the household in reaction to exogenous shocks created by a social program in Nicaragua. The paper shows that households that randomly received a conditional cash transfer compensated for some of the intra-household differences, as they reduced child labor more for older boys who used to work more and for boys who were further behind in school. The results also show that households that randomly received a productive investment grant, in addition to the basic conditional cash transfer benefits, both targeted at women, show an increased specialization of older girls in nonagricultural and domestic work, but no overall increase in girls' child labor. The findings suggest that time allocation and specialization patterns in child labor within the household are important factors to understand the impact of a social program. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4822
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 5
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    North-south trade-related technology diffusion, brain drain and productivity growth : are small states different? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4828
    Parallel Title: Schiff, Maurice W North-south trade-related technology diffusion, brain drain and productivity growth
    Keywords: Brain drain ; Diffusion of innovations ; Industrial productivity ; Brain drain ; Diffusion of innovations ; Industrial productivity
    Abstract: "The economies of small developing states tend to be more fragile than those of large ones. This paper examines this issue in a dynamic context by focusing on the impact of the brain drain on North-South trade-related technology diffusion and total factor productivity growth in small and large states in the South. There are three main findings. First, productivity growth increases with North-South trade-related technology diffusion and education and the interaction between the two, and decreases with the brain drain. Second, the impact of North-South trade-related technology diffusion, education, and their interaction on productivity growth in small states is more than three times that for large countries, with the negative impact of the brain drain thus more than three times greater in small than in large states. And third, the greater loss in productivity growth in small states has two brain drain-related causes: a substantially greater sensitivity of productivity growth to the brain drain, and brain drain levels that are more than five times greater in small than in large states. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4828
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 6
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Determinants of economic growth : a Bayesian panel data approach (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4830
    Parallel Title: Moral-Benito, Enrique Determinants of economic growth
    Keywords: Bayesian statistical decision theory ; Economic development ; Bayesian statistical decision theory ; Economic development
    Abstract: "Model uncertainty hampers consensus on the key determinants of economic growth. Some recent cross-country, cross-sectional analyses have employed Bayesian Model Averaging to address the issue of model uncertainty. This paper extends that approach to panel data models with country-specific fixed effects. The empirical results show that the most robust growth determinants are the price of investment goods, distance to major world cities, and political rights. This suggests that growth-promoting policy strategies should aim to reduce taxes and distortions that raise the prices of investment goods; improve access to international markets; and promote democracy-enhancing institutional reforms. Moreover, the empirical results are robust to different prior assumptions on expected model size. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4830
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 7
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Age at first child : does education delay fertility timing? the case of Kenya (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4833
    Parallel Title: Ferre, Celine Age at first child
    Keywords: Education ; Fertility, Human ; Teenage pregnancy ; Education ; Fertility, Human ; Teenage pregnancy
    Abstract: "Completing additional years of education necessarily entails spending more time in school. There is naturally a rather mechanical effect of schooling on fertility if women tend not to have children while continuing to attend high school or college, thus delaying the beginning of and shortening their reproductive life. This paper uses data from the Kenyan Demographic and Health Surveys of 1989, 1993, 1998, and 2003 to uncover the impact of staying one more year in school on teenage fertility. To get around the endogeneity issue between schooling and fertility preferences, the analysis uses the 1985 Kenyan education reform as an instrument for years of education. The authors find that adding one more year of education decreases by at least 10 percentage points the probability of giving birth when still a teenager. The probability of having one's first child before age 20, when having at least completed primary education, is about 65 percent; therefore, for this means a reduction of about 15 percent in teenage fertility rates for this group. One additional year of school curbs the probability of becoming a mother each year by 7.3 percent for women who have completed at least primary education, and 5.6 percent for women with at least a secondary degree. These results (robust to a wide array of specifications) are of crucial interest to policy and decision makers who set up health and educational policies. This paper shows that investing in education can have positive spillovers on health. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4833
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 8
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Foreign informational lobbying can enhance tourism : evidence from the Caribbean (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4834
    Parallel Title: Gawande, Kishore S Foreign informational lobbying can enhance tourism
    Keywords: Lobbying ; Lobbying ; Tourism ; Lobbying ; Lobbying ; Tourism
    Abstract: "There exist legal channels for informational lobbying of U.S. policymakers by foreign principals. Foreign governments and private sector principals frequently and intensively use this institutional channel to lobby on trade and tourism issues. This paper empirically studies whether such lobbying effectively achieves its goal of trade promotion in the context of Caribbean tourism, and suggests the potential for using foreign lobbying as a vehicle for development. Panel data are used to explore and quantify the association between foreign lobbying by Caribbean principals and U.S. tourist arrivals to Caribbean destinations. A variety of sensitivity analyses support the finding of a strong association. The policy implications are obvious and potentially important for developing countries. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4834
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 9
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Assessing the impact of political economy factors on rules of origin under NAFTA (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4848
    Parallel Title: Portugal-Pérez, Alberto Assessing the impact of political economy factors on rules of origin under NAFTA
    Keywords: Certificates of origin ; Certificates of origin
    Abstract: "Rules of origin are legitimate policy instruments to prevent trade deflection in a preferential trade agreement short of a customs union. Trade deflection takes place when a product imported into the preferential trade agreement through the member with the lowest external tariff is transhipped to a higher-tariff member, while yielding a benefit for the re-exporter. Yet, when captured by special interest groups, rules of origin can restrict trade beyond what is needed to prevent trade deflection. By how much do political economy factors account for the stringency of rules of origin? This study quantifies the impact of both determinants - those considered "justifiable" because they prevent trade deflection and those deemed to arise from "political economy" forces - on the restrictiveness of rules of origin under the North American Free Trade Agreement, approximated by a restrictiveness index. The main finding is that political economy forces, especially from the United States, raised significantly the restrictiveness of the rules of origin. Indeed, in industries where political-economy forces were strong prior to the North American Free Trade Agreement, as when the U.S. Most Favored Nation tariff was high or the revealed comparative advantage of Mexico (the United States) was strong (weak), more stringent rules of origin were introduced. Thus, stricter rules of origin are associated with higher production costs reducing the potential benefits of enhanced market access that is initially pursued by this type of agreement. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4848
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 10
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Transforming natural resource wealth into sustained growth and poverty reduction : a conceptual framework for Sub-Saharan African oil exporting countries (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4852
    Parallel Title: Toto Same, Achille Transforming natural resource wealth into sustained growth and poverty reduction
    Keywords: Natural resources Government policy ; Natural resources Government policy
    Abstract: "Oil and mineral revenues raise national savings and hence facilitate investment, capital accumulation, and sustained growth; thus, there are benefits of owning large natural resources. There can be a significant spillover effect from the oil sector to the non-oil sector particularly if governments are committed to bridge the infrastructure gap and promote the non-oil economy and foremost the non-oil tradable sector. Consequently, the capacity for coordinated policy formulation and execution is fundamental as well as sound windfall management mechanisms and institutions. This conceptual framework uses the case of Indonesia and the example of Norway to argue that the resource paradox is avoidable. Abundance should not be a curse, but rather a blessing for Sub-Saharan Africa's oil and mineral exporting countries. The country context and political economy matter a great deal but should not be the main driving forces behind windfall management, to avoid excessive rent-seeking activities, inefficiency, and wasteful spending. The EITI++ implementation can contribute to make a difference, mostly through capacity building, implementation assistance, and coordination support. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4852
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 11
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Market integration and structural transformation in a poor rural economy (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4856
    Parallel Title: Söderbom, Måns Market integration and structural transformation in a poor rural economy
    Keywords: Rural development ; Rural development
    Abstract: "By developing a simple theoretical model of the impact of market integration on sectoral output and employment in a poor rural setting, this paper demonstrates that trade can induce asymmetric growth. Under certain, plausible, assumptions, the non-farm sector will grow much faster than the agricultural sector when markets become integrated. Promoting market integration may thus be an effective way of encouraging diversification beyond agriculture and catalysing structural change in poor rural economies. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4856
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 12
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Long-term financial incentives and investment in daughters : evidence from conditional cash transfers in north India (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4860
    Parallel Title: Sinha, Nistha Long-term financial incentives and investment in daughters
    Keywords: Daughters ; Health status indicators ; Human capital ; Sex of children, Parental preferences for ; Daughters ; Health status indicators ; Human capital ; Sex of children, Parental preferences for
    Abstract: "Since the early 1990s, several states in India have introduced financial incentive programs to discourage son preference among parents and encourage investment in daughters' education and health. This study evaluates one such program in the state of Haryana, Apni Beti Apna Dhan (Our Daughter, Our Wealth). Since 1994, eligible parents in Haryana have been offered a financial incentive if they give birth to a daughter. The incentive consists of an immediate cash grant and a long-term savings bond redeemable on the daughter's 18th birthday provided she is unmarried, with additional bonuses for education. Although no specific program participation data are available, we estimate early intent-to-treat program effects on mothers (sex ratio among live children, fertility preferences) and children (mother's use of antenatal care, survival, nutritional status, immunization, schooling) using statewide household survey data on fertility and child health, and constructing proxies for household and individual program eligibility. The results based on this limited data imply that Apni Beti Apna Dhan had a positive effect on the sex ratio of living children, but inconclusive effects on mothers' preferences for having female children as well as total desired fertility. The findings also show that parents increased their investment in daughters' human capital as a result of the program. Families made greater post-natal health investments in eligible girls, with some mixed evidence of improving health status in the short and medium term. Further evidence also suggests that the early cohort of eligible school-age girls was not significantly more likely to attend school; however, conditional on first attending any school, they may be more likely to continue their education. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4860
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 13
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Global distortions to agricultural markets : new indicators of trade and welfare impacts, 1955 to 2007 (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4865
    Parallel Title: Lloyd, P. J Global distortions to agricultural markets
    Keywords: Agricultural prices ; Agriculture Economic aspects ; Agriculture and state ; Agricultural prices ; Agriculture Economic aspects ; Agriculture and state
    Abstract: "Despite recent reforms, world agricultural markets remain highly distorted by government policies. Traditional indicators of those price distortions can be poor guides to the policies' economic effects. Recent theoretical literature provides indicators of trade and welfare-reducing effects of price and trade policies which this paper builds on to develop more-satisfactory indexes. The authors exploit a new Agricultural Distortion database to generate estimates of them for developing and high-income countries over the past half century. These better approximations of the trade and welfare effects of sector policies are generated without a formal model of global markets or even price elasticity estimates. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4865
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 14
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Wind power development : economics and policies (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4868
    Parallel Title: Van Kooten, G. C Wind power development
    Keywords: Wind power ; Wind power
    Abstract: "This study reviews the prospects of wind power at the global level. Existing studies indicate that the earth's wind energy supply potential significantly exceeds global energy demand. Yet, only 1 percent of the global electricity demand is currently derived from wind power despite 40 percent annual growth in wind generating capacity over the past 25 years. More than 98 percent of total current wind power capacity is installed in the developed countries plus China and India. It has been estimated that wind power could supply 7 to 34 percent of global electricity needs by 2050. However, wind power faces a large number of technical, economic, financial, institutional, market, and other barriers. To overcome these barriers, many countries have employed various policy instruments, including capital subsidies, tax incentives, tradable energy certificates, feed-in tariffs, grid access guarantees and mandatory standards. Besides these policies, climate change mitigation initiatives resulting from the Kyoto Protocol (e.g., CO2-emission reduction targets in developed countries and the Clean Development Mechanism in developing countries) have played a significant role in promoting wind power. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 3/19/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4868
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 15
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Wage subsidy and labor market flexibility in South Africa (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4871
    Parallel Title: Available in another form Wage subsidy and labor market flexibility in South Africa
    Keywords: Labor market ; Unskilled labor ; Labor market ; Unskilled labor
    Abstract: "In this paper, the authors use a highly disaggregate general equilibrium model to analyze the feasibility of a wage subsidy to unskilled workers in South Africa, isolating and estimating its potential employment effects and fiscal cost. They capture the structural characteristics of the labor market with several labor categories and substitution possibilities, linking the economy-wide results on relative prices, wages, and employment to a micro-simulation model with occupational choice probabilities in order to investigate the poverty and distributional consequences of the policy. The impact of a wage subsidy on employment, poverty, and inequality in South Africa depends greatly on the elasticities of substitution of factors of production, being very minimal if unskilled and skilled labor are complements in production. The desired results are attainable only if there is sufficient flexibility in the labor market. Although the impact in a low case scenario can be improved by supporting policies that relax the skill constraint and increase the production capacity of the economy especially towards labor-intensive sectors, the gains from a wage subsidy are still modest if the labor market remains very rigid. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4871
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 16
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Economic modeling of income, different types of capital and natural disasters (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4875
    Parallel Title: Markandya, Anil Economic modeling of income, different types of capital and natural disasters
    Keywords: Capital ; Natural disasters Economic aspects ; Capital ; Natural disasters Economic aspects
    Abstract: "This paper provides empirical estimates of the impacts of natural disasters on different forms of capital (with a focus on human and intangible capital and natural capital), and on real gross domestic product per capita. The types of disaster considered are droughts, earthquakes, floods, and storms and their impacts are measured in terms of the number of people affected or people affected per capita. The authors find statistically significant reductions on the values of human and intangible capital and land capital as a consequence of the disasters, and these reductions are greater when the impacts last for longer periods. Based on the assumption that natural disasters indirectly affect the level of income via losses in capital, the authors estimate a Cobb-Douglas production function using the different forms of capital as inputs. The losses in income are found to vary across different countries and the type of natural disaster studied. However, a common finding is that the losses in income depend generally on two factors: the relative magnitude of impacts of a natural disaster and the values of different forms of capital. The estimates in this paper are national level figures and cannot be useful in predicting the cost of damages at the local level, where much larger amounts can be experienced per capita. Nevertheless, the estimates provide some indication of magnitudes for different disasters and for different groups of countries. More work and more data are needed to get a dynamic profile for the losses of capital and income. But given the study's results, the time profile is estimated to range typically between two and five years. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4875
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 17
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Health investments and economic growth : macroeconomic evidence and microeconomic foundations (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4877
    Parallel Title: Jack, William Health investments and economic growth
    Keywords: Economic development Health aspects ; Health Social aspects ; Medical economics ; Economic development Health aspects ; Health Social aspects ; Medical economics
    Abstract: "This paper reviews the correlations and potential links between health and economic growth and summarizes the evidence on the role of government in improving health status. At the macroeconomic level, the evidence of an impact of health on growth remains ambiguous due both to difficulties in measuring health, and to the methodological challenges of identifying causal links. The evidence on the micro linkages from health investments to productivity and income are robust. Progress in life expectancy over the past two centuries has been spectacular, fueled by: improved agriculture that has increased food quantity; knowledge of disease transmission, and effective public health interventions that have controlled communicable diseases such as malaria, yellow fever, and hookworm; and, most recently and importantly, investments in very young children that pay off in healthier and more productive adults. Whether public investments in medical care affect health hinges on the quality of health institutions. In much of the developing world, factors such as chronic absenteeism among public providers, poor budget execution, ineffective management, and virtually no accountability weaken public efforts. Institutional issues are central in efforts to enhance public health investments, which in turn have a direct impact on the population's welfare and, perhaps over the long term, improvements in national income. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4877
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 18
    Online Resource
    Online Resource
    Local sources of financing for infrastructure in Africa : a cross-country analysis (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4878
    Parallel Title: Irving, Jacqueline Local sources of financing for infrastructure in Africa
    Keywords: Financial institutions ; Infrastructure (Economics) ; Financial institutions ; Infrastructure (Economics)
    Abstract: "With the exception of South Africa, local financial markets in sub-Saharan Africa remain underdeveloped and small, with a particular dearth of financing with maturity terms commensurate with the medium- to long-term horizons of infrastructure projects. But as financial market reforms gather momentum, there is growing awareness of the need to tap local and regional sources. Drawing on a comprehensive new database constructed for the purpose of this research, the paper assesses the actual and potential role of local financial systems for 24 African countries in financing infrastructure. The paper concludes that further development and more appropriate regulation of local institutional investors would help them realize their potential as financing sources, for which they are better suited than local banks because their liabilities would better match the longer terms of infrastructure projects. There are clear signs of positive change: private pension providers are emerging in Africa, there is a shift from defined benefit toward defined contribution plans, and African institutional investors have begun taking a more diversified portfolio approach in asset allocation. Although capital markets remain underdeveloped, new issuers in infrastructure sectors-particularly of corporate bonds-are coming to market in several countries, in some cases constituting the debut issue. More than half of the corporate bonds listed at end-2006 on these countries' markets were by companies in infrastructure sectors. More cross-border listings and investment within the region-in both corporate bonds and equity issues-including by local institutional investors, could help overcome local capital markets' impediments and may hold significant promise for financing cross-country infrastructure projects. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4878
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 19
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    Poverty effects of higher food prices : a global perspective (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4887
    Parallel Title: De Hoyos, Rafael E Poverty effects of higher food prices
    Keywords: Food prices ; Poverty ; Food prices ; Poverty
    Abstract: "The spike in food prices between 2005 and the first half of 2008 has highlighted the vulnerabilities of poor consumers to higher prices of agricultural goods and generated calls for massive policy action. This paper provides a formal assessment of the direct and indirect impacts of higher prices on global poverty using a representative sample of 63 to 93 percent of the population of the developing world. To assess the direct effects, the paper uses domestic food consumer price data between January 2005 and December 2007--when the relative price of food rose by an average of 5.6 percent --to find that the implied increase in the extreme poverty headcount at the global level is 1.7 percentage points, with significant regional variation. To take the second-order effects into account, the paper links household survey data with a global general equilibrium model, finding that a 5.5 percent increase in agricultural prices (due to rising demand for first-generation biofuels) could raise global poverty in 2010 by 0.6 percentage points at the extreme poverty line and 0.9 percentage points at the moderate poverty line. Poverty increases at the regional level vary substantially, with nearly all of the increase in extreme poverty occurring in South Asia and Sub-Saharan Africa. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4887
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 20
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    Emerging market fluctuations : what makes the difference? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4897
    Parallel Title: Hevia, Constantino Emerging market fluctuations
    Keywords: Business cycles ; Business cycles
    Abstract: "Aggregate fluctuations in emerging countries are quantitatively larger and qualitatively different in key respects from those in developed countries. Using data from Mexico and Canada, this paper decomposes these differences in terms of shocks to aggregate efficiency and shocks that distort the decisions of households about how much to invest, consume, and work in a standard model of a small open economy. The decomposition exercise suggests that most of these differences are explained by fluctuations in aggregate efficiency, distortions in labor decisions over the business cycle, and, most importantly, fluctuations in country risk. Other distortions are quantitatively less important. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4897
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 21
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    The foreign-born population in the European Union and its contribution to national tax and benefit systems : some insights from recent household survey data (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4899
    Parallel Title: Barbone, Luca The foreign-born population in the European Union and its contribution to national tax and benefit systems
    Keywords: Foreign workers ; Immigrants ; Foreign workers ; Immigrants
    Abstract: "Despite the purported surge in internal migration following the 2004 enlargement of the European Union, data from the 2006 European Union Survey of Income and Living Conditions show that internal migrants are a relatively small share of the European Union's population. Depending on the exact definition used, only about 1 to 2 percent of the population of European Union-13 countries (members prior to the 2004 enlargement, not including Germany and Luxembourg) were born in other European Union countries, while the corresponding share for European Union-4 countries (Poland, Hungary, Czech Republic, and Slovakia) is even lower. By contrast, about 6 percent of the population of European Union-13 countries was born outside the European Union. On examining the demographic and socio-economic background of the migrant population (both from within as well as outside the European Union), this paper finds that migrants tend to include a concentration of both low as well as highly educated workers. Both sets of migrants uniformly contribute to raising the working-age population of receiving countries. Using data on average incomes and taxes paid and benefits received by migrant and non-migrant households, the authors find no evidence to support the contention that migrant workers contribute much less in taxes than the native-born population, or consume significantly higher benefits. On the contrary, our calculations suggest that migrant workers make a net contribution of approximately 42 billion euros to the national tax and benefit systems of European Union-13 countries. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4899
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 22
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    Development strategy, viability, and economic distortions in developing countries (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4906
    Parallel Title: Lin, Justin Yifu Development strategy, viability, and economic distortions in developing countries
    Keywords: Economics ; Government holding companies ; Economics ; Government holding companies
    Abstract: "This paper presents a three-sector static model to explore the rationale for a series of institutional distortions in developing countries. The authors argue that, after World War II, motivated by a belief in the development of state-of-the-art industries as a means for nation building, the majority of developing country governments attempted to accelerate the growth of advanced capital-intensive industries. However, since developing countries are relatively rich in labor or natural resource endowments but not in capital endowment, advanced capital-intensive industries were not adapted to the endowment structures of these developing countries at the time. Enterprises in those industries were non-viable in open, competitive markets and could not survive without government subsidization or protection. The model shows that, in order to mobilize resources into the capital-intensive, advanced sectors, it is necessary for governments to use distortionary policies such as taxes and subsidies, distortions of factor prices, directive allocation of resources, and nationalization of enterprises. Such distortions enable developing countries to set up advanced, capital-intensive industries in the early stage of their development. However, they also tend to suppress incentives, misallocate resources, and make the economy inefficient. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4906
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 23
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    Risks, ex-ante actions and public assistance : impacts of natural disasters on child schooling in Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Malawi (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4909
    Parallel Title: Yamauchi, Futoshi Risks, ex-ante actions and public assistance
    Keywords: Education ; Human capital ; Natural disasters ; Education ; Human capital ; Natural disasters
    Abstract: "This paper examines the impacts of natural disasters on schooling investments with special focus on the roles of ex-ante actions and ex-post responses using panel data from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Malawi. The importance of ex-ante actions depends on disaster risks and the likelihood of public assistance, which potentially creates substitution between the two actions. The findings show that higher future probabilities of disasters increase the likelihood of holding more human capital and/or livestock relative to land, and this asset-portfolio effect is significant in disaster prone areas. The empirical results support the roles of both ex-ante and ex-post responses (public assistance) in coping with disasters, but also show interesting variations across countries. In Ethiopia, public assistance plays a more important role than ex-ante actions to mitigate the impact of shocks on child schooling. In contrast, households in Malawi rely more on private ex-ante actions than public assistance. The Bangladesh example shows active roles of both ex-ante and ex-post actions. These observations are consistent with the finding on the relationship between ex-ante actions and disaster risks. The results also show that among ex-ante actions, human capital accumulated in the household prior to disasters helps mitigate the negative effects of disasters in both the short and long runs. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4909
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 24
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    Infrastructure and growth in Africa (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4914
    Parallel Title: Calderón, César Infrastructure and growth in Africa
    Keywords: Infrastructure (Economics) ; Infrastructure (Economics)
    Abstract: "The goal of the paper is to provide a comprehensive assessment of the impact of infrastructure development on growth in African countries. Based on econometric estimates for a sample of 136 countries from 1960-2005, the authors evaluate the impact on per capita growth of faster accumulation of infrastructure stocks and of enhancement in the quality of infrastructure services for 39 African countries in three key infrastructure sectors: telecommunications, electricity, and roads. Using an econometric technique suitable for dynamic panel data models and likely endogenous regressors, the authors find that infrastructure stocks and service quality boost economic growth. The growth payoff of reaching the infrastructure development of the African leader (Mauritius) is 1.1 percent of GDP per year in North Africa and 2.3 percent in Sub-Saharan Africa, with most of the contribution coming from more, rather than better, infrastructure. Across Africa, infrastructure contributed 99 basis points to per capita economic growth, versus 68 points for other structural policies. Most of the contribution came from increases in stocks (89 basis points), versus quality improvements (10 basis points). The findings show that growth is positively affected by the volume of infrastructure stocks and the quality of infrastructure services; simulations show that our empirical findings are significant statistically and economically. Identifying areas of opportunity to generate productivity growth, the authors find that African countries are likely to gain more from larger stocks of infrastructure than from enhancements in the quality of existing infrastructure. The payoffs are largest for telephone density, electricity-generating capacity, road-network length, and road quality. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4914
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 25
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    Exit and save : migration and saving under violence (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4918
    Parallel Title: Grun, Rebekka E Exit and save
    Keywords: Saving and investment ; Saving and investment ; Colombia Emigration and immigration ; Colombia Emigration and immigration
    Abstract: "This paper examines how households trade off migration and savings when subject to exogenous violence. The authors propose that households under violence decide jointly on migration and saving, because a higher asset-stock is more difficult to carry to a new place. When confronted with exogenous violence, households are expected to consider migration, and reduce their assets, both in order to reduce their exposure to violence, and to make migration easier. In some cases, after a migration decision has been taken, savings can increase as a function of violence to ensure a minimum bundle to carry. Empirical evidence from rich Colombian micro-data supports the conceptual framework for violence that carries a displacement threat, such as guerrilla attacks. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4918
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 26
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    May growth lead to higher deprivation despite higher satisfaction? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4921
    Parallel Title: Wodon, Quentin May growth lead to higher deprivation despite higher satisfaction?
    Keywords: Economic development ; Income distribution ; Economic development ; Income distribution
    Abstract: "In a relative deprivation framework, unless inequality is reduced, growth is associated with both higher satisfaction and higher deprivation. This may help explain the discontent with growth despite its benefits. As is well known in the literature, knowledge of the population's mean income and Lorenz curve is all that is needed to analyze a distribution, so that this can also be used to assess the satisfaction and deprivation of each individual. Given the normalization used to derive the satisfaction and deprivation measures, satisfaction and deprivation add up to the mean income for the population as a whole as well as for each individual. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4921
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 27
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    International migration, transfers of norms and home country fertility (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4925
    Parallel Title: Beine, Michel International migration, transfers of norms and home country fertility
    Keywords: Internationale Migration ; Soziale Norm ; Fertilität ; Bildungsverhalten ; Migranten ; Welt ; Emigration and immigration ; Fertility, Human ; Emigration and immigration ; Fertility, Human
    Abstract: "This paper examines the relationship between international migration and source country fertility. The impact of international migration on source country fertility may have a number of causes, including a transfer of destination countries' fertility norms and an incentive to acquire more education. It provides provide a rigorous test of the diffusion on of fertility norms using original and detailed data on migration. The results provide evidence of a significant transfer of fertility norms from migrants to their country of origin: a one percent decrease in the fertility norm to which migrants are exposed reduces home country fertility by about 0.3 percent for origin countries. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4925
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 28
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    Is deliberation equitable? : evidence from transcripts of village meetings in South India (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4928
    Parallel Title: Ban, Radu Is deliberation equitable?
    Keywords: Decision making ; Political participation ; Decision making ; Political participation
    Abstract: "Deliberative decision-making processes are becoming increasingly important around the world to make important decisions about public and private goods allocation, but there is very little empirical evidence about how they actually work. In this paper the authors use data from India extracted from 131 transcripts of village meetings matched with data from household surveys conducted in the same villages prior to the meetings, to study whose preferences are reflected in the meetings. The meetings are constitutionally empowered to make decisions about public and private goods. The findings show that the more land a person owns, the higher the likelihood her preference is mentioned in the meeting, the longer the amount of time spent discussing this preference, and the higher the likelihood that a decision to provide or repair this public or private good is taken. At the same time, the voices of disadvantaged castes, while not dominating the meeting, are also heard. By contrast, the preferences of Muslims are given less time. High village literacy and the presence of higher level officials during village meetings mitigate the power of the landed, but political reservations for low castes for the post of village president increase the power of the landed. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4928
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 29
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    Innovative firms or innovative owners? : determinants of innovation in micro, small, and medium enterprises (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4934
    Parallel Title: De Mel, Suresh Innovative firms or innovative owners?
    Keywords: Small business ; Technological innovations ; Small business ; Technological innovations
    Abstract: "Innovation is key to technology adoption and creation, and to explaining the vast differences in productivity across and within countries. Despite the central role of the entrepreneur in the innovation process, data limitations have restricted standard analysis of the determinants of innovation to consideration of the role of firm characteristics. The authors develop a model of innovation that incorporates the role of both owner and firm characteristics, and use this to determine how product, process, marketing, and organizational innovations should vary with firm size and competition. They then use a new, large, representative survey from Sri Lanka to test this model and to examine whether and how owner characteristics matter for innovation. The survey also allows analysis of the incidence of innovation in micro and small firms, which have traditionally been overlooked in the study of innovation, despite these firms comprising the majority of firms in developing countries. The analysis finds that more than one-quarter of the microenterprises are engaging in innovation, with marketing innovations the most common. As predicted by the model, firm size has a stronger positive effect, and competition a stronger negative effect, on process and organizational innovations than on product innovations. Owner ability, personality traits, and ethnicity have a significant and substantial impact on the likelihood of a firm innovating, confirming the importance of the entrepreneur in the innovation process. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4934
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 30
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    Optimal pre-merger notification mechanisms : incentives and efficiency of mandatory and voluntary schemes (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4936
    Parallel Title: Rodríguez González, Aldo Javier Optimal pre-merger notification mechanisms
    Keywords: Consolidation and merger of corporations ; Consolidation and merger of corporations
    Abstract: "The authors compare the two merger control systems currently employed worldwide: a mandatory system based on merger size threshold and a voluntary system with ex-post monitoring and fines. The voluntary system possesses two informational advantages: (i) the enforcement agency employs more information -verifiable and non verifiable parameters- to decide the set of mergers to investigate, and (ii) the first move of merging firms reveals useful information to the agency about the competitive risk of a merger. If fines for undue omission to notify are upward limited, then a mixed mechanism is optimal, where small transactions are under a voluntary regime while the big mergers are obliged to report. Remedies for fixing anticompetitive mergers act as an instrument that induces firms to notify the operation, improving further the advantage of the voluntary mechanism. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4936
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  • 31
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    Beyond mitigation : potential options for counter-balancing the climatic and environmental consequences of the rising concentrations of greenhouse gases (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4938
    Parallel Title: MacCracken, Michael C Beyond mitigation
    Keywords: Climatic changes Risk management ; Environmental geotechnology ; Greenhouse gases ; Climatic changes Risk management ; Environmental geotechnology ; Greenhouse gases
    Abstract: "Global climate change is occurring at an accelerating pace, and the global greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions that are forcing climate change continue to increase. Given the present pace of international actions, it seems unlikely that atmospheric composition can be stabilized at a level that will avoid "dangerous anthropogenic interference" with the climate system, as called for in the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change. Complicating the situation, as GHG emissions are reduced, reductions in the offsetting cooling influence of sulfate aerosols will create an additional warming influence, making an early transition to climate stabilization difficult. With significant reductions in emissions (mitigation) likely to take decades, and with the impacts of projected climate change-even with proactive adaptation-likely to be quite severe over the coming decades, additional actions to offset global warming and other impacts have been proposed as important complementary measures. Although a number of possible geoengineering approaches have been proposed, each has costs and side effects that must be balanced against the expected benefits of reduced climate impacts. However, substantial new research is needed before comparison of the relative benefits and risks of intervening is possible. A first step in determining whether geoengineering is likely to be a useful option is the initiation of research on four interventions to limit the increasing serious impacts: limiting ocean acidification by increasing the removal of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and upper ocean; limiting the increasing intensity of tropical cyclones; limiting the warming of the Arctic and associated sea level rise; and sustaining or enhancing the existing sulfate cooling influence. In addition, in depth consideration is needed regarding the governance structure for an international geoengineering decision-making framework in the event that geoengineering becomes essential. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4938
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  • 32
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    Banking in Brazil : structure, performance, drivers, and policy implications (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4809
    Parallel Title: Urdapilleta, Eduardo Banking in Brazil
    Keywords: Banks and banking ; Banks and banking
    Abstract: " The objective of this paper is to analyze the industry structure of banking services in Brazil in order to shed light on financial performance and its drivers at a disaggregated level. The study illustrates how differences across market segments - which tend to be averaged out in aggregate analysis - need to be taken into account when analyzing performance and designing public policy for the banking sector. In particular, retail banking is found to be less sensitive to price competition and to exhibit considerably higher returns than corporate banking. The authors identify and discuss the factors underlying revenues, costs, and risks in each market segment, and conclude with policy implications. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4809
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  • 33
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    Unemployment and worker-firm matching : theory and evidence from East and West Europe (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4810
    Parallel Title: Münich, Daniel Unemployment and worker-firm matching
    Keywords: Unemployment ; Unemployment ; Unemployment ; Unemployment
    Abstract: "The paper tests three hypotheses about the causes of unemployment in the Central-East European transition economies and in a benchmark market economy (Western part of Germany). The first hypothesis (H1) is that unemployment is caused by inefficient matching. Hypothesis 2 (H2) is that unemployment is caused by low demand. Hypothesis 3 (H3) is that restructuring is at work. Our estimates suggest that the west and east German parts of Germany, Czech Republic and Slovakia are consistent with H2 and H3. Hungary provides limited support to all three hypotheses. Poland is consistent with H1. The economies in question hence contain one broad group of countries and one or two special cases. The group comprises the Czech Republic, Hungary, Slovak Republic and (possibly) East Germany. These countries resemble West Germany in that they display increasing returns to scale in matching and unemployment appears to be driven by restructuring and low demand. The East German case is complex because of its major active labor market policies and a negative trend in efficiency in matching. In some sense, East Germany resembles more Poland, which in addition to restructuring and low demand for labor appears to suffer from a structural mismatch reflected in relatively low returns to scale in matching. Finally, our data provide evidence that goes counter to one of the main predictions of the theories of transition, namely that the turnover (inflow) rate in the transition countries would rise dramatically at the start of the transition, be temporarily very high and gradually decline and approach the level observed in otherwise similar market economies such as West Germany. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4810
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  • 34
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    Convergence in institutions and market outcomes : cross-country and time-series evidence from the business environment and enterprise performance surveys in transition economies (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4819
    Parallel Title: Mitra, Pradeep Convergence in institutions and market outcomes
    Keywords: Economics ; Economics
    Abstract: "This paper uses firm-level data from the Business Environment and Enterprise Performance Surveys to study the process of convergence of transition countries with developed market economies. The study focuses on competition and market structure, finance and the structure of lending to firms, and how firms respond to the economic environment by restructuring. The authors find substantial evidence of convergence in a number of dimensions. The pattern of growth at the country, sector, and firm levels shows rapid growth of the new private sector and of the micro and small-firm sectors, with the size distribution of firms moving toward the pattern observed in the surveys of developed market economies. In finance, increasing reliance on retained earnings in transition countries reflects a maturation of the sector as new firms come to rely less on informal and family sources of finance. The authors find evidence of an inverse-U pattern, with the peak of restructuring activity taking place in 2002, the middle of the period analyzed. Throughout, the regional patterns suggest greater convergence in the transition countries that joined the European Union in 2004 than in the other, lower-income transition economies. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4819
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  • 35
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    Measuring subjective expectations in developing countries : a critical review and new evidence (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4824
    Parallel Title: Delavande, Adeline Measuring subjective expectations in developing countries
    Keywords: Social surveys ; Social surveys
    Abstract: "The majority of economic decisions taken by individuals are forward looking and thus involve their expectations of future outcomes. Understanding the expectations that individuals have is thus of crucial importance to designing and evaluating policies in health, education, finance, migration, social protection, and many other areas. However, the majority of developing country surveys are static in nature and do not contain information on the subjective expectations of individuals. Possible reasons given for not collecting this information include fears that poor, illiterate individuals do not understand probability concepts, that it takes far too much time to ask such questions, or that the answers add little value. This paper provides a critical review and new analysis of subjective expectations data from developing countries and refutes each of these concerns. The authors find that people in developing countries can generally understand and answer probabilistic questions, such questions are not prohibitive in time to ask, and the expectations are useful predictors of future behavior and economic decisions. The paper discusses the different methods being tried for eliciting such information, the key methodological issues involved, and the open research questions. The available evidence suggests that collecting expectations data is both feasible and valuable, suggesting that it should be incorporated into more developing country surveys. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4824
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 36
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    Low-income countries' access to private debt markets (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4829
    Parallel Title: Hostland, Doug Low-income countries' access to private debt markets
    Keywords: Debts, External ; Loans, Foreign ; Debts, External ; Loans, Foreign
    Abstract: "Private debt flows to developing countries surged to record levels over the period 2003-07. A few low-income countries have gained access to the international bond market but the bulk of the flows have continued to go to just a few large middle-income countries. Most low-income countries still heavily depend on concessional loans and grants from the official sector to meet their financing needs. The paper provides an overview of low-income countries' access to cross-border bank lending and bond issuance in the international market over the past few decades. It highlights some stylized facts that characterize salient features of low-income countries' experience in external borrowing from the private sector and discusses the various factors that influence governments' and corporations' decisions to seek external financing along with creditors' decisions to provide the financing. The paper concludes by assessing the prospects for low-income countries' access to private debt markets over the medium term. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4829
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 37
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    Valuing mortality and morbidity in the context of disaster risks (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4832
    Parallel Title: L. Cropper, Maureen Valuing mortality and morbidity in the context of disaster risks
    Keywords: Disasters ; Mortality ; Disasters ; Mortality
    Abstract: "Benefit-cost analyses of disaster risk reduction (DRR) projects are an important tool for evaluating the efficiency of such projects, and an important input into decision making. These analyses, however, often fail to monetize the benefits of reduced death and injury. The authors review the literature on valuing reduced death and injury, and suggest methods for calculating order-of-magnitude estimates of these benefits. Because few empirical estimates of the Value of a Statistical Life (VSL) are available for developing countries, methods for transferring estimates from high income to middle and low income countries are reviewed. The authors suggest using the range of values implied by an income elasticity of 1.0 and an elasticity of 1.5. With regard to injury valuation they discuss arguments for and against monetizing Quality Adjusted Life Years, and provide shortcuts to valuing injuries that may be used to assess their importance in DRR benefit-cost analyses. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4832
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 38
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    Democracy and reforms (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4835
    Parallel Title: Amin, Mohammad Democracy and reforms
    Keywords: Democracy ; Economic policy ; Democracy ; Economic policy
    Abstract: "The authors use a sample of 147 countries to investigate the link between democracy and reforms. Democracy may be conducive to reforms, because politicians have the incentive to embrace growth-enhancing reforms to win elections. By contrast, authoritarian regimes do not have to worry as much about public opinion and may undertake reforms that are painful in the short run but bring future prosperity. This paper tests these hypotheses, using data on micro-economic reforms from the World Bank's Doing Business database. These data do not suffer the endogeneity issues associated with other datasets on changes in economic institutions. The results provide robust support for the claim that democracy is good for growth-enhancing reforms. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4835
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 39
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    The business of product innovation : international empirical evidence (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4840
    Parallel Title: Lederman, Daniel The business of product innovation
    Keywords: New products ; Technological innovations ; New products ; Technological innovations
    Abstract: "It is so widely recognized that innovation is a key driver of economic growth that it is cliche to say so. This article studies product innovation by firms with data from 68 countries, covering more than 25,000 firms in eight manufacturing sectors. The author assesses the predictions of inter-disciplinary research on innovation by firms. The econometric evidence suggests that globalization and local knowledge increase the likelihood that firms will introduce new products. By contrast, domestic regulatory impediments to competition are not robustly correlated with product innovation. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4840
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 40
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    Connecting lagging and leading regions : the role of labor mobility (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4843
    Parallel Title: Lall, Somik V Connecting lagging and leading regions
    Keywords: Labor mobility ; Manpower policy ; Migration, Internal ; Labor mobility ; Manpower policy ; Migration, Internal
    Abstract: "How can policies improve the welfare of people in economically lagging regions of countries? Should policies help jobs follow people? Or should they enable people to follow jobs? In most countries, market forces have encouraged the geographic concentration of people and economic activEities - policies that try to offset these forces to encourage balanced economic growth have largely been unsuccessful. However, policies that help people get closer to economic density have improved individual welfare. In this paper, the authors examine the migration decisions of working-age Brazilians and find that the pull of higher wages in leading regions has a strong influence on the decision to migrate. However, many people are also "pushed" to migrate, starved of access to basic public services such as clean water and sanitation in their hometowns. Although migration is welfare-improving for these individuals, the economy may end up worse off as these migrants are more likely to add to congestion costs in cities than to contribute to agglomeration benefits. Encouraging human capital formation can stimulate labor mobility for economic gain; and improving access to and quality of basic services in lagging regions will directly improve welfare as well as reduce the type of migration motivated by the search for life-supporting basic services. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4843
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 41
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    Weakly relative poverty (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4844
    Parallel Title: Ravallion, Martin Weakly relative poverty
    Keywords: Poverty ; Poverty
    Abstract: "Prevailing measures of relative poverty put an implausibly high weight on relative deprivation, such that measured poverty does not fall when all incomes grow at the same rate. This stems from the (implicit) assumption in past measures that very poor people incur a negligible cost of social inclusion. That assumption is inconsistent with evidence on the social roles of certain private expenditures in poor settings and with data on national poverty lines. The authors propose a new schedule of "weakly relative" lines that relax this assumption and estimate the implied poverty measures for 116 developing countries. The authors find that there is more relative poverty than past estimates have suggested. In 2005, one half of the population of the developing world lived in relative poverty, half of whom were absolutely poor. The total number of relatively poor rose over 1981-2005, despite falling numbers of absolutely poor. With sustained economic growth, the incidence of relative poverty becomes less responsive to further growth. Slower progress against relative poverty can thus be seen as the "other side of the coin" to success against absolute poverty. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4844
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 42
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    No more cutting class? : reducing teacher absence and providing incentives for performance (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4847
    Parallel Title: Rogers, F. Halsey No more cutting class?
    Keywords: Education ; Teachers Leaves of absence ; Education ; Teachers Leaves of absence
    Abstract: "Expanding and improving basic education in developing countries requires, at a minimum, teachers who are present in the classroom and motivated to teach, but this essential input is often missing. This paper describes the findings of a series of recent World Bank and other studies on teacher absence and incentives for performance. Surprise school visits reveal that teachers are absent at high rates in countries such as India, Indonesia, Uganda, Ecuador, and Zambia, reducing the quality of schooling for children, especially in rural, remote, and poor areas. More broadly, poor teacher management and low levels of teacher accountability afflict many developing-country education systems. The paper presents evidence on these shortcomings, but also on the types of incentives, management, and support structures that can improve motivation and performance and reduce avoidable absenteeism. It concludes with policy options for developing countries to explore as they work to meet Education for All goals and improve quality. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4847
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 43
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    Is there an incipient turnaround in Asia's "missing girls" phenomenon ? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4846
    Parallel Title: Das Gupta, Monica Is there an incipient turnaround in Asia's "missing girls" phenomenon ?
    Keywords: Sex of children, Parental preferences for ; Sex ratio ; Sex of children, Parental preferences for ; Sex ratio
    Abstract: "The apparently inexorable rise in the proportion of "missing girls" in much of East and South Asia has attracted much attention amongst researchers and policy-makers. An encouraging trend was suggested by the case of South Korea, where child sex ratios were the highest in Asia but peaked in the mid-1990s and normalized thereafter. Using census data, we examine whether similar trends have begun to manifest themselves in the two large populous countries of this region, China and India. The data indicate that child sex ratios are peaking in these countries, and in many sub-national regions are beginning to trend towards less masculinization. This suggests that, with continuing vigorous efforts to reduce son preference, the "missing girls" phenomenon could be addressed in Asia. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4846
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 44
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    The demographic and socio-economic distribution of excess mortality during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4850
    Parallel Title: Walque, Damien de The demographic and socio-economic distribution of excess mortality during the 1994 genocide in Rwanda
    Keywords: Genocide ; Mortality ; Genocide ; Mortality
    Abstract: "There is an extensive literature on violent conflicts such as the 1994 Rwandan genocide, but few papers examine the profiles of victims and perpetrators, or more broadly the micro-level dynamics of widespread violence. This paper studies the demographic consequences of the Rwandan genocide and how the excess mortality due to the conflict was distributed in the population. Data collected by the 2000 Demographic and Health Survey indicate that although there were more deaths across the entire population, adult males were the most likely to die. Using the characteristics of the survey respondent as a proxy for the socio-economic status of the family dead, the results also show that individuals with an urban or more educated background were more likely to die. Over and above the human tragedies, a long-term cost of the genocide is the country's loss of productive skills. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4850
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 45
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    Inclusive growth analytics : framework and application (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4851
    Parallel Title: Ianchovichina, Elena Inclusive growth analytics
    Keywords: Economic development ; Economic development ; Zambia Economic conditions 1964- ; Zambia Economic conditions 1964-
    Abstract: "This paper argues that inclusive growth analytics has a distinct character focusing on both the pace and pattern of growth. Traditionally, applied country-specific poverty and growth analyses have been done separately. This paper describes the conceptual elements for an analytical strategy aimed to integrate these two strands of analyses, and to identify and prioritize country-specific constraints to sustained and inclusive growth. The authors apply the framework to the case of Zambia. The analysis suggests that income growth in Zambia is constrained by poor access to domestic and international markets, inputs, extension services, and information. High indirect costs - mostly attributable to infrastructure service-related inputs in production including energy, transport, telecom, water, but also insurance, marketing, and professional services - undermine Zambia's competitiveness, limit job creation, and therefore serve as a major constraint to inclusive growth. Improving the quality and access to secondary and tertiary education is essential if the poor are to benefit from future growth of the non-farm economy. Weak governance and, in particular, poor government effectiveness are factors behind the market coordination failures and the identified government failures, and are as such major obstacles to inclusive growth in Zambia. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4851
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 46
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    Auctions with endogenous participation and quality thresholds : evidence from oda infrastructure procurement (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4853
    Parallel Title: Estache, Antonio Auctions with endogenous participation and quality thresholds
    Abstract: "Infrastructure projects are often technically complicated and highly customized. Therefore, procurement competition tends to be limited. Competition is the single most important factor toward auction efficiency and anti-corruption. However, the degree of competition realized is closely related to bidders' entry decision and the auctioneer's decision on how to assess technical attributes in the bid evaluation process. This paper estimates the interactive effects among quality, entry, and competition. With data on procurement auctions for electricity projects in developing countries, it is found that large electricity works are by nature costly and can attract only a few participants. The limited competition would raise government procurement costs. In addition, high technical requirements are likely to be imposed for these large-scale projects, which will in turn add extra costs for the better quality of works and further limit bidder participation. The evidence suggests that quality is of particular importance in large infrastructure projects and auctioneers cannot easily substitute price for quality. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4853
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 47
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    Transactional sex as a response to risk in Western Kenya (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4857
    Parallel Title: Robinson, Jonathan Transactional sex as a response to risk in Western Kenya
    Keywords: AIDS (Disease) ; Prostitutes Health and hygiene ; Prostitution Health aspects ; AIDS (Disease) ; Prostitutes Health and hygiene ; Prostitution Health aspects
    Abstract: "Formal and informal commercial sex work is a way of life for many poor women in developing countries. Though sex workers have long been identified as crucial in affecting the spread of HIV/AIDS, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa, the nature of sex-for-money transactions remains poorly understood. Using a unique panel dataset constructed from 192 self-reported sex worker diaries which include detailed information on sexual behavior, labor supply, and health shocks, the authors find that sex workers adjust their supply of risky, better compensated sex to cope with unexpected health shocks, exposing themselves to increased risk of HIV infection. In particular, women are 3.1 percent more likely to see a client, 21.2 percent more likely to have anal sex, and 19.1 percent more likely to have unprotected sex on days in which a household member falls ill. Women also increase their supply of risky sex on days after missing work due to symptoms from a sexually transmitted infection. Given that HIV prevalence has been estimated at 9.8 percent in this part of Kenya, these behavioral responses entail significant health risks for sex workers and their partners, and suggest that sex workers are unable to cope with risk through other formal or informal consumption smoothing mechanisms. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4857
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 48
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    Energy demand models for policy formulation : a comparative study of energy demand models (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4866
    Parallel Title: Bhattacharyya, Subhes C Energy demand models for policy formulation
    Keywords: Energy policy ; Energy policy
    Abstract: "This paper critically reviews existing energy demand forecasting methodologies highlighting the methodological diversities and developments over the past four decades in order to investigate whether the existing energy demand models are appropriate for capturing the specific features of developing countries. The study finds that two types of approaches, econometric and end-use accounting, are used in the existing energy demand models. Although energy demand models have greatly evolved since the early 1970s, key issues such as the poor-rich and urban-rural divides, traditional energy resources, and differentiation between commercial and non-commercial energy commodities are often poorly reflected in these models. While the end-use energy accounting models with detailed sector representations produce more realistic projections compared with the econometric models, they still suffer from huge data deficiencies especially in developing countries. Development and maintenance of more detailed energy databases, further development of models to better reflect developing country context, and institutionalizing the modeling capacity in developing countries are the key requirements for energy demand modeling to deliver richer and more reliable input to policy formulation in developing countries. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4866
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 49
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    Multilateral debt relief through the eyes of financial markets (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4872
    Parallel Title: Raddatz, Claudio E Multilateral debt relief through the eyes of financial markets
    Keywords: Debt relief ; Debt relief
    Abstract: "The economic benefits of debt relief for recipient countries have been the subject of arduous debate, at least partly motivated by the difficulty of identifying the causal effect of debt relief on economic performance-given that performance itself may drive the decision to grant relief. This paper conducts an event study to assess the economic consequences of multilateral debt relief for recipient countries that is robust to these reverse causality issues. It estimates the response of the stock prices of South African multinationals with subsidiaries in those countries to the announcement of debt relief initiatives, and shows that stock prices exhibit a significant increase above those of other firms, especially around the launching of the recent Multilateral Debt Relief Initiative. The improvement in financial markets' assessment of the value of these multinationals is consistent with lower expected levels of future taxation in the recipient countries. Overall, the results are consistent with the "debt overhang" argument for debt relief. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4872
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 50
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    Professional services and development : a study of Mozambique (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4870
    Parallel Title: Fernandes, Ana Margarida Professional services and development
    Keywords: Professional education ; Professions ; Professional education ; Professions
    Abstract: "Professional skills are scarce in Mozambique, even by the standards of low-income countries. The solution, however, is not necessarily to create more Mozambican training institutions but to address market-specific problems. Where skills are already the binding constraint (for example, in auditing and engineering), policy action is indeed needed to remedy supply-side problems: capital market imperfections that inhibit investment in training institutions by entrepreneurs and in education by individuals; weakness in upstream school education, which handicaps Mozambican students in their pursuit of higher education; inadequacies in professional education and training, including curricula not attuned to industry needs; and a fragmentation of the regional education market by regulatory and language differences that prevent the emergence of regional institutions that can exploit economies of scale.Where skills may be limited but are not yet the binding constraint, the priority is to stimulate demand for appropriate skills. In this respect, the emergence of professional guilds offers opportunities, but also creates risks. The guilds can design, with government support, a regulatory framework, for example, in accounting and basic engineering, which is more attuned to the needs of Mozambican firms. They can also help make firms more aware of the benefits of professional help, for example, in accounting and information technology. The risk is that guilds will create unnecessary regulatory barriers to entry, particularly for foreign or foreign-trained professionals. Greater coherence between policies affecting professional services and international migration policy can help deal with both supply-side and demand-side problems. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4870
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 51
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    Trends in household coverage of modern infrastructure services in Africa (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4880
    Parallel Title: Available in another form Trends in household coverage of modern infrastructure services in Africa
    Keywords: Household surveys ; Infrastructure (Economics) ; Household surveys ; Infrastructure (Economics)
    Abstract: "Household surveys have long been used to estimate poverty and inequality trends, as well as trends in education and health indicators, but they have not been used to the same extent to assess trends in the access to or coverage of modern infrastructure services. In this paper, we use Demographic and Health Surveys from a larger sample of sub-Saharan African countries in order to collect comparable information across countries on coverage of piped water, flush toilets, electricity, and landline telephones over time. The results suggest that coverage rates for electricity, flush toilets have improved slightly over the last decade. Coverage of piped water has declined, at the same time as coverage of landline (as well as cellular) telephone has increased rapidly. The decline has been primarily in the urban areas while the infrastructure coverage has either increased or remained stable in rural Africa. For all four services, among the poorest households coverage remains virtually inexistent. If business as usual continues, it would take a very long time to reach universal or widely shared coverage even in countries where coverage has improved. These results point to the need to increase efforts by governments and international community to progressively increase access to modern infrastructure services in Africa. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4880
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  • 52
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    Economic and social impacts of self-help groups in india (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4884
    Parallel Title: Deininger, Klaus W Economic and social impacts of self-help groups in india
    Keywords: Microfinance ; Self-help groups ; Microfinance ; Self-help groups
    Abstract: "Although there has been considerable recent interest in micro-credit programs, rigorous evidence on the impacts of forming self-help groups to mobilize savings and foster social empowerment at the local level is virtually non-existent, despite a large number of programs following this pattern. The authors use a large household survey to assess the economic and social impacts of the formation of self-help groups in India. They find positive impacts on empowerment and nutritional intake in program areas overall and heterogeneity of impacts between members of pre-existing and newly formed groups, as well as non-participants. Female social and economic empowerment in program areas increased irrespective of participation status, suggesting positive externalities. Nutritional benefit was more pronounced for new participants than for members of pre-existing groups. Evidence of higher consumption - but not income or asset formation - by participants suggests that at the time of the survey, the program's main economic impact had been through consumption smoothing and diversification of income sources rather than exploitation of new income sources. Evaluation of such programs in ways that allow heterogeneity of program impact can yield highly policy-relevant insights. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4884
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 53
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    Natural resources and reforms (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4882
    Parallel Title: Amin, Mohammad Natural resources and reforms
    Keywords: Natural resources ; Natural resources
    Abstract: "The authors use a sample of 133 countries to investigate the link between the abundance of natural resources and micro-economic reforms. Previous studies suggest that natural resource abundance gives rise to governments that are less accountable to the public and states that are oligarchic, and that it leads to the erosion of social capital. These factors are likely to hamper economic reforms. The authors test this hypothesis using data on micro-economic reforms from the World Bank's Doing Business database. The results provide a robust support for the "resource curse" view: a move from the 75th percentile to the 25th percentile on resource abundance equals 10.9 percentage points more reform. This is a large effect given that the mean probability of reform in the sample is 57.1 percent. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4882
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 54
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    Longer-term economic impacts of self-help groups in India (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4886
    Parallel Title: Deininger, Klaus W Longer-term economic impacts of self-help groups in India
    Keywords: Self-help groups ; Self-help groups
    Abstract: "Despite the popularity and unique nature of women's self-help groups in India, evidence of their economic impacts is scant. Based on two rounds of a 2,400 household panel, the authors use double differences, propensity score matching, and pipeline comparison to assess economic impacts of longer (2.5-3 years) exposure of a program that promoted and strengthened self-help programs in Andhra Pradesh in India. The analysis finds that longer program exposure has positive impacts on consumption, nutritional intake, and asset accumulation. Investigating heterogeneity of the impacts suggests that even the poorest households were able to benefit from the program. Furthermore, overall benefits would exceed program cost by a significant margin even under conservative assumptions. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4886
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 55
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    Career placement of skilled migrants in the U.S. labor market : a dynamic approach (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4891
    Parallel Title: Neagu, Ileana Cristina Career placement of skilled migrants in the U.S. labor market
    Keywords: Foreign workers ; Skilled labor ; Foreign workers ; Skilled labor
    Abstract: "The initial occupational placements of male immigrants in the U.S. labor market vary significantly by country of origin even when education and other factors are taken into account. Does the heterogeneity persist over time? Using data from the 1980, 1990, and 2000 U.S. Censuses, this study finds that the performance of migrants from countries with lower initial occupational placement levels improves at a higher rate compared with that of migrants originating from countries with higher initial levels. Nevertheless, the magnitude of convergence suggests full catch-up is unlikely. Country specific attributes are found to have less direct impact on the rate of assimilation than on the initial performance. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4891
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 56
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    Stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and cleanup priorities : a methodology and application for Tunisia (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4893
    Parallel Title: Dasgupta, Susmita Stockpiles of obsolete pesticides and cleanup priorities
    Keywords: Pesticides Risk mitigation ; Pesticides Risk mitigation
    Abstract: "Obsolete pesticides have accumulated in almost every developing country or economy in transition over the past several decades. Public health and environmental authorities are eager to reduce health threats by removing and decontaminating stockpile sites, but there are many sites, cleanup can be costly, and public resources are scarce. Under these conditions, it seems sensible to develop a methodology for prioritizing sites and treating them sequentially, as budgetary resources permit. This paper presents a methodology that develops cleanup priority indices for Tunisia. The approach integrates information on populations at risk, their proximity to stockpiles, and the relative toxic hazards of the stockpiles. The robustness of this approach is tested by varying model parameters widely and testing for stability in the rank-ordering of results. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4893
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 57
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    Does tougher import competition foster product quality upgrading ? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4894
    Parallel Title: Fernandes, Ana Margarida Does tougher import competition foster product quality upgrading ?
    Keywords: Imports ; Quality of products ; Imports ; Quality of products
    Abstract: "Over the past two decades, globalization, and more specifically the increased exposure to competition from low-price producers in China and India, has created a new economic environment for other emerging economies. The most advantageous way for manufacturing firms in those economies to position themselves in domestic and international markets is to offer upgraded and differentiated rather than "mundane" labor-intensive products. This paper investigates whether increased competitive pressure from imports forces firms to improve the quality of their products. The econometric analysis relies on a rich dataset of Chilean manufacturing plants and their products. Product quality is measured with unit values (average prices) and industry-level transport costs are used as an exogenous measure of import competition. The authors find a positive and robust effect of import competition on product quality. This effect is found to be particularly strong for non-exporting plants. The results also show that increased import competition from less advanced economies is the major cause for the positive impact on quality upgrading. The overall evidence points to the benefits of trade openness for product innovation but demonstrates at the same time that competitive pressure alone will not enable local plants to catch up with leading world producers. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4894
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 58
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    Sea-level rise and storm surges : a comparative analysis of impacts in developing countries (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4901
    Parallel Title: Available in another form Sea-level rise and storm surges
    Keywords: Global warming ; Natural disasters ; Storm surges ; Global warming ; Natural disasters ; Storm surges
    Abstract: "An increase in sea surface temperature is evident at all latitudes and in all oceans. The current understanding is that ocean warming plays a major role in intensified cyclone activity and heightened storm surges. The vulnerability of coastlines to intensified storm surges can be ascertained by overlaying Geographic Information System information with data on land, population density, agriculture, urban extent, major cities, wetlands, and gross domestic product for inundation zones likely to experience more intense storms and a 1 meter sea-level rise. The results show severe impacts are likely to be limited to a relatively small number of countries and a cluster of large cities at the low end of the international income distribution. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4901
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 59
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    Banking on politics (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4902
    Parallel Title: Braun, Matías Banking on politics
    Keywords: Bank directors ; Banking law ; Bank directors ; Banking law
    Abstract: "This paper presents new data from 150 countries showing that former cabinet members, central bank governors, and financial regulators are many orders of magnitude more likely than other citizens to become board members of banks. Countries where the politician-banker phenomenon is more prevalent have higher corruption and more powerful yet less accountable governments, but not better functioning financial systems. Regulation becomes more pro-banker where this happens more often. Furthermore, a higher fraction of the rents that are created accrue to bankers, former politicians are not more likely to be directors when their side is in power, and banks are more profitable without being more leveraged. Rather than supporting a public interest view, the evidence is consistent with a capture-type private interest story where, in exchange for a non-executive position at a bank in the future, politicians provide for beneficial regulation. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4902
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 60
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    Frame-of-reference bias in subjective welfare regressions (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4904
    Parallel Title: Beegle, Kathleen Frame-of-reference bias in subjective welfare regressions
    Keywords: Household surveys ; Household surveys
    Abstract: "Past research has found that subjective questions about an individuals' economic status do not correspond closely to measures of economic welfare based on household income or consumption. Survey respondents undoubtedly hold diverse ideas about what it means to be "poor" or "rich." Further, this heterogeneity may be correlated with other characteristics, including welfare, leading to frame-of-reference bias. To test for this bias, vignettes were added to a nationally representative survey of Tajikistan, in which survey respondents rank the economic status of the theoretical vignette households, as well as their own. The vignette rankings are used to reveal the respondent's own scale. The findings indicate that respondents hold diverse scales in assessing their welfare, but that there is little bias in either the economic gradient of subjective welfare or most other coefficients on covariates of interest. These results provide a firmer foundation for standard survey methods and regression specifications for subjective welfare data. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4904
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 61
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    Weathering the storm : investing in port infrastructure to lower trade costs in East Asia (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4911
    Parallel Title: Abe, Kazutomo Weathering the storm
    Keywords: Harbors ; Harbors
    Abstract: "The world economic crisis of 2008 presents clear challenges to prospects for economic growth in developing countries. This is particularly true for emerging economies in East Asia that have relied to a great extent over the past decade on export-led growth. What steps to facilitate trade promise a relatively strong return on investment for East Asia to help sustain trade and growth? The authors examine how port infrastructure affects trade and the role of transport costs in driving exports and imports for the region. They find that port congestion has significantly increased the transport costs to East Asia from both of the United States and Japan. The analysis suggests that cutting port congestion by 10 percent could cut transport costs in East Asia by up to 3 percent. This translates into a 0.3 to 0.5 percent across-the-board tariff cut. In addition, the estimates suggest that the trade cost reduction of investment in port infrastructure in East Asia that translates into higher consumer welfare would far outweigh the cost for physical expansion of the ports in the region. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4911
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 62
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    Paying the price for unreliable power supplies : in-house generation of electricity by firms in Africa (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4913
    Parallel Title: Foster, Vivien Paying the price for unreliable power supplies
    Keywords: Electric power production ; Electric power production
    Abstract: "This paper documents the prevalence of in-house generation of electric power by firms in Sub-Saharan Africa and attempts to identify the underlying causes. The analysis is based on two data sources. The UDI World Electric Power Plants Data Base (WEPP), a global inventory of electric power generating units, provides a detailed inventory of in-house generation at the country level. The World Bank's Enterprise Survey Database captures business perceptions of the obstacles to enterprise growth for 8,483 currently operating firms in 25 African countries. Overall, so-called own generation by firms-which has been on the rise in recent years-accounts for about 6 percent of installed generation capacity in Sub-Saharan Africa (equivalent to at least 4,000 MW of installed capacity). However, this share doubles to around 12 percent in the low-income countries, the post-conflict countries, and more generally on the Western side of the continent. In a handful of countries own generation represents more than 20 percent of capacity. Rigorous empirical analysis shows that unreliable public power supplies is far from being the only or even the largest factor driving generator ownership. Firm characteristics have a major influence-in particular, the probability of owning a generator doubles in large firms relative to small ones. Our model predicts that the prevalence of own generation would remain high (at around 20 percent) even if power supplies were perfectly reliable, suggesting that other factors, such as emergency back-up and export regulations, play a critical role in the decision to own a generator. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4913
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 63
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    Beyond the information technology agreement : harmonization of standards and trade in electronics (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4916
    Parallel Title: Portugal-Pérez, Alberto Beyond the information technology agreement
    Keywords: Electronic industries Standards ; Electronic industries Standards
    Abstract: "Product standards can have a dual impact on production and trade costs. Standards may impose additional costs on exporters as it may be necessary to adapt products for specific markets (cost-effect). In contrast, standards can reduce exporters' information costs if they convey information on industrial requirements or consumer tastes that would be costly to collect in the absence of standards (informational-effect). Using a new World Bank database of European standards for electronic products, the authors examine the impact of internationally-harmonized European standards on European Union imports. They find that European Union standards for electronic products that are harmonized to international standards have a positive and significant effect on trade. The results suggest that efforts to promote trade in electronic products could be complemented by steps to promote standards harmonization. This might include, for example, re-starting talks to extend the Information Technology Agreement to non-tariff measures and commitments to harmonize national standards in electronic products. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4916
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 64
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    Can risk averse competitive input providers serve farmers efficiently in developing countries ? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4922
    Parallel Title: Makdissi, Paul Can risk averse competitive input providers serve farmers efficiently in developing countries ?
    Abstract: "Under price ceilings and quality floors for agricultural inputs in cash crop sectors in developing countries where credit markets are weak, imperfect information on the ability of farmers to pay for their inputs at the end of the cropping season may lead the decentralized production of those inputs by risk averse private input providers to be inefficient. A coordinating agency and/or subsidies for new farmers could help to produce and distribute more agricultural inputs, thereby increasing the profits for input providers while also enabling more farmers to produce the crops that are key to their livelihood. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4922
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 65
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    Simple model frameworks for explaining inefficiency of the clean development mechanism (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4931
    Parallel Title: Rosendahl, Knut Einar Simple model frameworks for explaining inefficiency of the clean development mechanism
    Keywords: Greenhouse gas mitigation ; Greenhouse gas mitigation
    Abstract: "The Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) is an offset mechanism designed to reduce the overall cost of implementing a given global target for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in industrialized "Annex B" countries of the Kyoto Protocol. This paper discusses various ways in which CDM projects do not imply full offset of emissions, thus leading to an overall increase in global GHG emissions when considering the Annex-B emissions increase allowed by the offsets. The authors focus on two ways in which this may occur: baseline manipulation; and leakage. Baseline manipulation may result when agents that carry out CDM projects have incentives to increase their initial (or baseline) emissions in order to optimize the value of CDM credits. Leakage occurs because reductions in emissions under a CDM project may affect market equilibrium in local and/or global energy and product markets, and thereby increase emissions elsewhere. Remedies against these problems are discussed. Such remedies are more obvious for the baseline problem (where one is simply to choose an exogenous baseline independent of the project) than for the leakage problem (which is difficult to prevent, and where a prediction of the effect must rely on information about overall market equilibrium effects). "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4931
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 66
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    Household welfare and natural resource management around national parks in Zambia (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4932
    Parallel Title: Bandyopadhyay, Sushenjit Household welfare and natural resource management around national parks in Zambia
    Keywords: Wildlife management areas ; Wildlife management areas ; Zambia Economic conditions ; Zambia Economic conditions
    Abstract: "Game management areas in Zambia aim to combine nature conservation with economic empowerment of rural households. By looking at households inside and outside game management areas, this study advances the knowledge of the impact of community based natural resource management on household welfare. The paper focuses on the economic welfare of households living inside game management areas. It tries to answer the question: Do the households in game management areas enjoy higher levels of welfare relative to the conditions they would have been in had the area not been designated as a game management area? Within the game management area, the paper tries to determine the factors that influence household participation in natural resource management, and whether the participating households get any extra benefits. Also of interest is whether such benefits of living in a game management area, and, once in such an area, those of participating accrue more to the poorer segments of the communities. The study finds that the gains from living in a game management area and from active participation in natural resource management are large but unevenly distributed. Only game management areas near Kasanka, Lavushi, Isangano, and South Luangwa national parks in the sample show significant benefits to general and participating households. And in those areas, the poor do not seem to gain even when they participate actively. More even distribution of gains from game management areas across households near different park systems and across the poor and the non-poor should be a continuing goal of national policy makers. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4932
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 67
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    The impact of the business environment on the business creation process (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4937
    Parallel Title: Klapper, Leora The impact of the business environment on the business creation process
    Keywords: Business enterprises Registration and transfer ; Entrepreneurship ; Business enterprises Registration and transfer ; Entrepreneurship
    Abstract: "New data from the 2008 World Bank Group Entrepreneurship Survey indicates a very strong and statistically significant relationship between entrepreneurship and a better business environment. Data for 100 countries on the number of total and newly registered corporations over an eight-year period (2000-2007) were collected directly from registrars of companies around the world. Data were also collected on the functioning and structure of business registries. Empirical evidence suggests that greater ease in starting a business and better governance are associated with increased entrepreneurial activity. After controlling for economic development (gross domestic product per capita), higher entrepreneurial activity is significantly associated with cheaper, more efficient business registration procedures and better governance. Although the degree of progress in the modernization of business registries varies greatly, countries usually have a common goal to evolve from a paper-based business registry to a one-stop, automated, web-enabled registry capable of delivering products and services online via transactions involving authenticated users and documents. Tests show that business registry modernization (often a component of broader private sector reforms) has a positive impact not only on the ease of creating a business, but also on new business registration. Overall, the data show that a quick, efficient, and cost-effective business registration process is critical for fostering formal sector entrepreneurship. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4937
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 68
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    Climate change governance (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4941
    Parallel Title: Meadowcroft, James Climate change governance
    Keywords: Climatic changes Government policy ; Climatic changes Government policy
    Abstract: "Climate change governance poses difficult challenges for contemporary political/administrative systems. These systems evolved to handle other sorts of problems and must now be adapted to handle emerging issues of climate change mitigation and adaptation. This paper examines long-term climate governance, particularly in relation to overcoming "institutional inertia" that hampers the development of an effective and timely response. It argues that when the influence of groups that fear adverse consequences of mitigation policies is combined with scientific uncertainty, the complexity of reaching global agreements, and long time frames, the natural tendency is for governments to delay action, to seek to avoid antagonizing influential groups, and to adopt less ambitious climate programs. Conflicts of power and interest are inevitable in relation to climate change policy. To address climate change means altering the way things are being done today - especially in terms of production and consumption practices in key sectors such as energy, agriculture, and transportation. But some of the most powerful groups in society have done well from existing arrangements, and they are cautious about disturbing the status quo. Climate change governance requires governments to take an active role in bringing about shifts in interest perceptions so that stable societal majorities in favor of deploying an active mitigation and adaptation policy regime can be maintained. Measures to help effect such change include: building coalitions for change, buying off opponents, establishing new centers of economic power, creating new institutional actors, adjusting legal rights and responsibilities, and changing ideas and accepted norms and expectations. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4941
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  • 69
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    Public finance, security, and development : a framework and an application to Afghanistan (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4806
    Parallel Title: Byrd, William A Public finance, security, and development
    Keywords: Economic development ; Finance, Public ; Internal security ; Economic development ; Finance, Public ; Internal security
    Abstract: "Security is increasingly viewed as a key condition for economic growth and development. The authors argue that the work and impact of all development partners would be enhanced if the multiple linkages between public finance, security, and development were explicitly taken into account. At the extreme, in some cases better public finance management could have more impact on security than would more troops. The paper first outlines three core linkages between security and development-through the investment climate, human and social capital, and institutions. The authors then propose three complementary tools to analyze the security sector from the point of view of public finance management, service delivery, and governance. This conceptual framework is applied to the case of Afghanistan. The paper closes by drawing some conclusions about possible entry points for dialogue in this difficult area. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4806
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  • 70
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    Globalization and innovation in emerging markets (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4808
    Parallel Title: Gorodnichenko, Yuriy Globalization and innovation in emerging markets
    Keywords: Globalization ; Technological innovations ; Globalization ; Technological innovations
    Abstract: "Globalization brings opportunities and pressures for domestic firms in emerging markets to innovate and improve their competitive position. Using data on firms in 27 transition economies, the authors test for the effects of globalization through the impact of increased competition and foreign direct investment on domestic firms' efforts to innovate (raise their capability) by upgrading their technology, improving the quality of their product or service, or acquiring certification. They find that competition has a negative effect on innovation, especially for firms further from the efficiency frontier, and we do not find support for an inverted U effect of competition on innovation. The authors show that the supply chain of multinational enterprises and international trade are important channels for domestic firms' innovation. They detect no evidence that firms in a more pro-business environment are more likely to display a positive or inverted U relationship between competition and innovation, or that they are more sensitive to foreign presence. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4808
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  • 71
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    Effects of privatization and ownership in transition economies (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4811
    Parallel Title: Available in another form Effects of privatization and ownership in transition economies
    Keywords: Privatization ; Privatization
    Abstract: "The paper evaluates the effects of privatization in the post-communist economies and China. In post-communist economies privatization to foreign owners results in a rapid improvement in performance of firms, while performance effects of privatization to domestic owners are less impressive and vary across regions, coinciding with differences in policies and institutional development. In China relatively more estimates suggest that privatization to domestic owners improves the level of performance. Concentrated private ownership has a stronger positive effect on performance than dispersed ownership in the post-communist economies, but foreign joint ventures rather than wholly owned foreign firms have a positive effect in China. Worker or collective ownership does not have a negative effect. In the post-communist economies new firms are equally or more efficient than firms privatized to domestic owners, and foreign start-ups are more efficient than domestic ones. Privatization is not associated with lower employment. When accompanied by complementary reforms, privatization has a positive effect on economic growth. Three factors appear to drive the more positive effect of privatization to foreign than domestic owners. Domestic managers have more limited skills and access to world markets, domestically privatized firms have been more subject to tunneling and in some countries new large shareholders artificially decreased performance. The important policy implication is that privatization per se does not guarantee improved performance, at least not in the short- to medium-run. Type of private ownership, corporate governance, access to know-how and markets, and the legal and institutional system matter for firm performance. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4811
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 72
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    Vocational schooling, labor market outcomes, and college entry (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4814
    Parallel Title: Chen, Dandan Vocational schooling, labor market outcomes, and college entry
    Keywords: Education, Secondary ; Vocational education ; Education, Secondary ; Vocational education
    Abstract: "This paper examines the differentiated outcomes of vocational and general secondary academic education, particularly in terms of employment opportunities, labor market earnings, and access to tertiary education in Indonesia. With data from a panel of two waves of the Indonesia Family Life Survey in 1997 and 2000, the paper tracks a cohort of high school students in 1997 to examine their schooling and employment status in 2000. The findings demonstrate that: (1) attendance at vocational secondary schools results in neither market advantage nor disadvantage in terms of employment opportunities and/or earnings premium; (2) attendance at vocational schools leads to significantly lower academic achievement as measured by national test scores; and (3) There is no stigma attached to attendance at vocational schools that results in a disadvantage in access to tertiary education; rather, it is the lower academic achievement associated with attendance at vocational school that lowers the likelihood of entering college. The empirical approach of this paper addresses two limitations of the existing literature in this area. First, it takes into account the observation censoring issue due to college entry when evaluating labor market outcomes of secondary school graduates. Second, using an instrumental variable approach, the paper also treats endogeneity of household choice of vocational versus academic track of secondary education, teasing out the net effect of secondary school choice on labor market and schooling outcomes. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4814
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 73
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    The developing world's bulging (but vulnerable) "middle class" (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4816
    Parallel Title: Ravallion, Martin The developing world's bulging (but vulnerable) "middle class
    Keywords: Middle class ; Middle class
    Abstract: "The "developing world's middle class" is defined here as those who are not poor when judged by the median poverty line of developing countries, but are still poor by US standards. The "Western middle class" is defined as those who are not poor by US standards. Although barely 80 million people in the developing world entered the Western middle class over 1990-2002, economic growth and distributional shifts allowed an extra 1.2 billion people to join the developing world's middle class. Four-fifths came from Asia, and half from China. Most of the new entrants remained fairly close to poverty, with incomes now bunched up just above
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4816
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 74
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    A curse of comparison? : Evidence on reference groups for relative income concerns (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4820
    Parallel Title: Kuegler, Alice A curse of comparison?
    Keywords: Income ; Income
    Abstract: "This paper proposes that individuals care about the relative income of proximate reference groups. Making use of self-reported life satisfaction as a proxy for unobservable utility, the relative income of siblings is tested for relevance as a reference point for new sample data from Venezuela. Having greater perceived income than one's siblings is found to be positively linked to individual life satisfaction. This evidence supplements the scarce economic research on reference groups, supporting the hypothesis that individuals with proximate characteristics and resembling opportunities in life serve as points of comparison. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4820
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 75
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    The investment climate in 16 Indian states (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4817
    Parallel Title: Iarossi, Giuseppe The investment climate in 16 Indian states
    Keywords: Investments States ; Investments States
    Abstract: "In this paper, the author attempts to identify the characteristics of the business climate in India that can help explain the different performance of individual states in terms of investment and growth. The paper develops a new Investment Climate Index aimed at summarizing the aspects of the business environment that entrepreneurs consider when deciding whether to invest. Using this index, the author explores the investment climate in several typologies of Indian states and identify the key features of a poor business environment in India. The analysis shows that infrastructure and institutions remain the main bottlenecks in the country's private sector development. More specifically, power, transportation, corruption, tax regulations, and theft are major factors explaining the poor business environment in some Indian states. Infrastructure appears to be the single most important constraint, as it is particularly binding in states that show low levels of domestic investment and GDP growth. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4817
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 76
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    Why do people die in earthquakes? : the costs, benefits and institutions of disaster risk reduction in developing countries (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4823
    Parallel Title: Kenny, Charles Why do people die in earthquakes?
    Keywords: Earthquakes ; Earthquakes
    Abstract: "Every year, around 60,000 people die worldwide in natural disasters. The majority of the deaths are caused by building collapse in earthquakes, and the great majority occurs in the developing world. This is despite the fact that engineering solutions exist that can almost completely eliminate the risk of such deaths. Why is this? The engineering solutions are both expensive and technically demanding, so that the benefit-cost ratio of such solutions is often unfavorable compared with other interventions designed to save lives in developing countries. Nonetheless, a range of public disaster risk-reduction interventions (including construction activities) are highly cost effective. The fact that such interventions often remain unimplemented or ineffectively executed points to a role for issues of political economy. Building regulations in developing countries appear to have limited impact in many cases, perhaps because of limited capacity and the impact of corruption. Public construction is often of low quality - perhaps for similar reasons. This suggests approaches that emphasize simple and limited disaster risk regulation covering only the most at-risk structures and that (preferably) can be monitored by non-experts. It also suggests a range of transparency and oversight mechanisms for public construction projects. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4823
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 77
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    Measuring skilled migration rates : the case of small states (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4827
    Parallel Title: Docquier, Frédéric Measuring skilled migration rates
    Keywords: Brain drain States, Small ; Migration, Internal ; States, Small Emigration and immigration ; Brain drain States, Small ; Migration, Internal ; States, Small Emigration and immigration
    Abstract: "Recent changes in information and communication technologies have contributed to a dramatic increase in the degree of integration and interdependency of countries, markets, and people. Against this background, one aspect of particular concern for small states is the international movement of people. This paper focuses on this particularly important aspect of globalization, with emphasis on the movement of skilled people and its relationship with country size. In addition to overall skilled migration, it provides evidence that controls for migration age in order to distinguish between those educated in the home country and those educated abroad. The authors discuss the growth implications of the brain drain from small countries and policies that may help control it. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4827
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 78
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    Wealth : crucial but not sufficient evidence from Pakistan on economic growth, child labor, and schooling (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4831
    Parallel Title: Hou, Xiaohui Wealth
    Keywords: Child labor ; Education ; Wealth ; Child labor ; Education ; Wealth
    Abstract: "The relationship between wealth and child labor has been widely examined. This paper uses three rounds of time-series, cross-sectional data to examine the relationship between wealth and child labor and schooling. The paper finds that wealth is crucial in determining a child's activities, but that this factor is far from being a sufficient condition to enroll a child in school. This is particularly the case for rural girls. Nonparametric analysis shows a universal increase in school enrollment for rural girls from 1998 to 2006. This increase is independent of wealth (measured by per capita expenditure). Multinomial logit regression further shows that wealth is insignificant in determining rural girls' activity decisions. Thus, interventions to increase school enrollment should incorporate broad-targeted, demand-side interventions as well as supply-side interventions. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4831
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 79
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    The use and misuse of computers in education : evidence from a randomized experiment in Colombia (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4836
    Parallel Title: Barrera Osorio, Felipe The use and misuse of computers in education
    Keywords: Computer-assisted instruction ; Computer-assisted instruction
    Abstract: "This paper presents the evaluation of the program Computers for Education. The program aims to integrate computers, donated by the private sector, into the teaching of language in public schools. The authors conduct a two-year randomized evaluation of the program using a sample of 97 schools and 5,201 children. Overall, the program seems to have had little effect on students' test scores and other outcomes. These results are consistent across grade levels, subjects, and gender. The main reason for these results seems to be the failure to incorporate the computers into the educational process. Although the program increased the number of computers in the treatment schools and provided training to the teachers on how to use the computers in their classrooms, surveys of both teachers and students suggest that teachers did not incorporate the computers into their curriculum. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4836
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 80
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    Determinants of international emergency aid : humanitarian need only? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4839
    Parallel Title: Fink, Guenther Determinants of international emergency aid
    Keywords: Disaster relief ; Natural disasters ; Disaster relief ; Natural disasters
    Abstract: "The authors use an original data set covering more than 400 recent natural disasters to analyze the determinants of international emergency aid. Although humanitarian need is a major determinant of emergency relief payments, the results imply that political and strategic factors play a crucial role in the emergency aid allocation. On average, donor governments favor smaller, geographically closer, and oil exporting countries, and display significant biases in favor of politically less aligned countries as well as toward their former colonies. The authors also test and reject the independence of donors' aid decisions, finding strong evidence for bandwagon effects in humanitarian assistance. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4839
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 81
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    Regulatory reform : integrating paradigms (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4842
    Parallel Title: Torre, Augusto de la Regulatory reform
    Keywords: Subprime mortgage loans ; Subprime mortgage loans
    Abstract: "The Subprime crisis largely resulted from failures to internalize systemic risk evenly across financial intermediaries and recognize the implications of Knightian uncertainty and mood swings. A successful reform of prudential regulation will need to integrate more harmoniously the three paradigms of moral hazard, externalities, and uncertainty. This is a tall order because each paradigm leads to different and often inconsistent regulatory implications. Moreover, efforts to address the central problem under one paradigm can make the problems under the others worse. To avoid regulatory arbitrage and ensure that externalities are uniformly internalized, all prudentially regulated intermediaries should be subjected to the same capital adequacy requirements, and unregulated intermediaries should be financed only by regulated intermediaries. Reflecting the importance of uncertainty, the new regulatory architecture will also need to rely less on markets and more on "holistic" supervision, and incorporate countercyclical norms that can be adjusted in light of changing circumstances. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 3/17/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4842
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 82
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    The impact of EU accession on human capital formation : can migration fuel a brain gain? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4845
    Parallel Title: Farchy, Emily The impact of EU accession on human capital formation
    Keywords: Brain drain ; Human capital ; Brain drain ; Human capital
    Abstract: "Can a brain drain be good for development? Many studies have established the theoretical possibility of such a brain gain. Yet it is only recently that the relaxation of data constraints has allowed for sound empirical assessments. In utilizing the dramatic policy change that accompanied European Union accession as a natural experiment, this paper is able to assuage fears of reverse causality between migration and human capital formation. The results highlight a significant impact of European Union accession on human capital formation indicating that the prospect of migration can indeed fuel skill formation even in the context of middle-income economies. And, if accompanied by policies to promote return migration, as well as a functioning credit market to enable private investment, international labor mobility could represent a powerful tool for growth. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4845
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 83
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    (Un)bundling infrastructure procurement : evidence from water supply and sewage projects (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4854
    Parallel Title: Estache, Antonio (Un)bundling infrastructure procurement
    Keywords: Government purchasing ; Infrastructure (Economics) ; Sanitation ; Water-supply ; Government purchasing ; Infrastructure (Economics) ; Sanitation ; Water-supply
    Abstract: "Competition in public procurement auctions in the water supply and sanitation sector is largely limited. This is partly because of high technical complexity and partly because of auction design flaws. The division of lot contracts is an important policy choice for auctioneers to achieve efficiency. In general, there is a tradeoff between competition in auctions and size of contracts. Larger works could benefit from economies of scale and scope, but large contracts might undermine competition. Using data on public procurement auctions for water and sewage projects in developing countries, this paper shows that bidder entry is crucially endogenous, especially because it is determined by the auctioneer's bundling and unbundling strategy. If water treatment plant and distribution network works are bundled in a single lot package, competition would be significantly reduced, and this adverse entry effect would in turn raise the public procurement costs of infrastructure. There is no evidence of positive scope economies in the bidder cost structure. It is important to account for the underlying cost structure for designing efficient auction mechanisms. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4854
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 84
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    Natural disasters and human capital accumulation (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4862
    Parallel Title: Crespo-Cuaresma, Jesús Natural disasters and human capital accumulation
    Keywords: Education, Secondary ; Natural disasters ; Education, Secondary ; Natural disasters
    Abstract: "The author assesses empirically the relationship between natural disaster risk and investment in education. Although the results in the empirical literature tend to be inconclusive, using model averaging methods in the framework of cross-country and panel regressions, this paper finds an extremely robust negative partial correlation between secondary school enrollment and natural disaster risk. This result is exclusively driven by geological disasters. Natural disaster risk exposure is a robust determinant of differences in secondary school enrollment between countries, but not within countries, which implies that the effect can be interpreted as a long-run phenomenon. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4862
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 85
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    How do agricultural policy restrictions to global trade and welfare differ across commodities ? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4864
    Parallel Title: Lloyd, P. J How do agricultural policy restrictions to global trade and welfare differ across commodities ?
    Keywords: Agricultural subsidies ; Agriculture and state ; Agricultural subsidies ; Agriculture and state
    Abstract: "For decades the world's agricultural markets have been highly distorted by national government policies, but very differently for different commodities. Hence a weighted average across countries of nominal rates of assistance or consumer tax equivalents for a product can be misleading as an indicator of the trade or welfare effects of policies affecting that product's global market. This is especially the case when some countries tax and others subsidize its production or consumption. This article develops a new set of more-satisfactory indicators for that purpose, drawing on the recent literature on trade restrictiveness indexes. It then exploits a global agricultural distortions database recently compiled by the World Bank to generate the first set of estimates of those two indicators for each of 28 key agricultural commodities from 1960 to 2004, based on a sample of 75 countries that together account for more than three-quarters of the world's production of those agricultural commodities. These reveal the considerable extent of reforms in agricultural policies of developing as well as high-income countries over the past two decades. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/8/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4864
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 86
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    Firms' productive performance and the investment climate in developing economies : an application to MENA manufacturing (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4869
    Parallel Title: Kinda, Tidiane Firms' productive performance and the investment climate in developing economies
    Keywords: Industrial productivity ; Investments ; Industrial productivity ; Investments
    Abstract: "Drawing on the World Bank Investment Climate Assessment surveys, this paper investigates the relationship between firm-level technical efficiency and the investment climate for 22 developing economies and eight manufacturing industries. The authors first propose three measures of firms' productive performance: labor productivity, total factor productivity, and technical efficiency. They show that, on average, enterprises in the Middle East and North Africa have performed poorly compared with other countries in the sample. The exception is Morocco, whose various measures of firm-level productivity rank close to the ones of the most productive economies. The analysis also reveals that the competitiveness of countries in the region has been handicapped by high unit labor cost, compared with main competitors like China and India. The empirical results show then? that the investment climate matters for firms' productive performance. This is true (depending on the industry) for the quality of various infrastructure, the experience and education level of the labor force, the cost of and access to financing, as well as different dimensions of the government-business relation. The analysis reveals that some industries, more exposed to international competition, are more sensitive to investment climate deficiencies. For some industries, this is also true for small and medium domestic enterprises that do not have the possibility to influence their investment climate or choose their location. These findings bear clear policy implications by showing that increasing firms' size and improving the investment climate (in particular of small and medium firms and industries more exposed to international competition) could constitute a powerful means of industrial development and competitiveness, in the Middle East and North Africa region in particular. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 3/25/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4869
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  • 87
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    Small businesses in South Africa : who outsources tax compliance work and why? (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4873
    Parallel Title: Coolidge, Jacqueline G Small businesses in South Africa
    Keywords: Small business Taxation ; Small business Taxation
    Abstract: "The authors use firm-level survey data on 998 small and medium enterprises registered for tax in South Africa regarding tax compliance costs to investigate the use of outsourcing to complete tax compliance tasks. Overall, about 43 percent of the enterprises do all their tax compliance work in-house, 11 percent outsource all their tax compliance work, and the remaining 46 percent use a combination of both ("partial outsourcing"). The data display an inverted-U shape for outsourcing of tax compliance tasks: the smallest firms (those under R 300,000 turnover or well under US
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4873
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  • 88
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    Natural disasters and the dynamics of intangible assets (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4874
    Parallel Title: López, Ramón Natural disasters and the dynamics of intangible assets
    Keywords: Human capita ; Intangible property ; Natural disasters Economic aspects ; Human capita ; Intangible property ; Natural disasters Economic aspects
    Abstract: "Empirical evidence suggests that the higher-order effects of natural disasters, which affect intangible assets, may be even more important than the material inter-industry effects. However, most existing general equilibrium models ignore higher order effects concerning human capital. Moreover, it is recognized that natural resource dependence increases vulnerability to natural disasters. Recent studies have indeed shown the potential importance of subsistence traps caused by asset losses in low-income economies from a partial equilibrium perspective. This paper presents an analysis that allows for endogenous investments in real assets (physical capital) as well as in human capital, explicitly considering the potential for subsistence traps arising from minimum consumption and minimum natural resource irreversibility thresholds. The general equilibrium ramifications of subsistence traps are developed. The main issue is that the economy may be subject to hysteresis: A temporary shock such as a natural disaster may leave permanent consequences for the economy. An obvious permanent effect of a one-time disaster shock is that physical man-made and natural assets owned especially by poor households may end up completely wiped out. The disaster may not be the direct cause; it may be that poor households would have to obtain minimum subsistence consumption out of depleted assets. However, not all permanent effects of a one-time shock are negative. Under certain conditions, the destruction of man-made physical and natural capital may have general equilibrium effects that increase the incentives to invest in human capital and may even propel a formerly stagnating economy into a virtuous path of continuing growth. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4874
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  • 89
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    The performance of decentralized school systems : evidence from Fe y Alegria in Venezuela (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4879
    Parallel Title: Allcott, Hunt The performance of decentralized school systems
    Keywords: Schools Decentralization ; Schools Decentralization
    Abstract: "This program evaluation estimates the effects on standardized test scores of graduating from the Fe y Alegria private school system in Venezuela. The authors find an Average Treatment Effect on the order of 0.1 standard deviations (approximately 16 percent of the average score), using a control group of public school students. These effects are significantly larger for households at the bottom of the distribution, and smaller for those at the top. The authors posit that the better performance of the Fe y Alegria system stems from their labor contract flexibility and decentralized administrative structure. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4879
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  • 90
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    Informality in Latin America and the Caribbean (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4888
    Parallel Title: Loayza, Norman Informality in Latin America and the Caribbean
    Keywords: Informal sector (Economics ; Informal sector (Economics ; Informal sector (Economics ; Informal sector (Economics
    Abstract: "This paper studies the causes and consequences of informality and applies the analysis to countries in Latin America and the Caribbean. It starts with a discussion on the definition and measures of informality, as well as on the reasons why widespread informality should be of great concern. The paper analyzes informality's main determinants, arguing that informality is not single-caused but results from the combination of poor public services, a burdensome regulatory regime, and weak monitoring and enforcement capacity by the state. This combination is especially explosive when the country suffers from low educational achievement and features demographic pressures and primary production structures. Using cross-country regression analysis, the paper evaluates the empirical relevance of each determinant of informality. It then applies the estimated relationships to most countries in Latin America and the Caribbean in order to assess the country-specific relevance of each proposed mechanism. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4888
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 91
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    Implications of WTO disciplines for special economic zones in developing countries (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4892
    Parallel Title: Creskoff, Stephen Implications of WTO disciplines for special economic zones in developing countries
    Keywords: World Trade Organization ; World Trade Organization ; Export processing zones ; Industrial districts ; Export processing zones ; Industrial districts
    Abstract: "Many developing countries operate geographically delineated economic areas in the form of export processing zones, special industrial zones, or free trade zones. This paper provides an overview of the application of World Trade Organization disciplines to incentive programs typically employed by developing countries in connection with such special economic zone programs. The analysis finds that the disciplines under the Agreement on Subsidies and Countervailing Measures have the most immediate relevance for middle-income World Trade Organization members that are not exempt for certain "grandfathered" programs, but will also concern other developing countries in the future, as their exemption expires or their per-capita income passes a threshold of US
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4892
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 92
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    Zooming in : from aggregate volatility to income distribution (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4895
    Parallel Title: Calderón, César Zooming in
    Abstract: "In contrast with a growing literature on the drivers of aggregate volatility in developing countries, its consequences in terms of individual incomes have received less attention. This paper looks at the impact of cyclical output fluctuations and extreme output events (crises) on unemployment, poverty, and inequality. The authors find robust evidence that aggregate volatility has a regressive, asymmetric, and non linear impact, as reflected in the strong influence of extreme output drops. The findings show that, in addition to the mitigating role of personal wealth, public expenditure and labor protection exert a similar benign effect. These findings are in line with the income substitutions view of social safety nets, and cast a new light on the value of social programs and labor market regulation in crisis prone developing countries. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4895
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 93
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    Natural disasters, self-insurance and human capital investment : evidence from Bangladesh, Ethiopia and Malawi (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4910
    Parallel Title: Yamauchi, Futoshi Natural disasters, self-insurance and human capital investment
    Keywords: Human capital ; Natural disasters ; Human capital ; Natural disasters
    Abstract: "This paper examines the impacts of disasters on dynamic human capital production using panel data from Bangladesh, Ethiopia, and Malawi. The empirical results show that the accumulation of biological human capital prior to disasters helps children maintain investments in the post-disaster period. Biological human capital formed in early childhood (long-term nutritional status) plays a role of insurance with resilience to disasters by protecting schooling investment and outcomes, although disasters have negative impacts on investment. In Bangladesh, children with more biological human capital are less affected by the adverse effects of floods, and the rate of investment increases with the initial human capital stock in the post-disaster recovery process. In Ethiopia and Malawi, where droughts are rather frequent, exposure to highly frequent droughts in some cases reduces schooling investment but the negative impacts are larger among children embodying less biological human capital. Asset holdings prior to the disasters, especially the household's stock of intellectual human capital, also helps maintain schooling investments at least to the same degree as the stock of human capital accumulated in children prior to the disasters. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4910
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 94
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    Making sense of Africa's infrastructure endowment : a benchmarking approach (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4912
    Parallel Title: Yepes, Tito Making sense of Africa's infrastructure endowment
    Keywords: Infrastructure (Economics) ; Infrastructure (Economics)
    Abstract: "The paper's objective is to explain factors underlying Africa's weak infrastructure endowment and to identify suitable infrastructure goals for the region based on benchmarking against international peers. The authors use a dataset covering the stocks of key infrastructure-including information and communication technology (ICT), power, roads, and water-across 155 developing countries over the period 1960 to 2005. The paper also examines subregional differences within Africa. They make use of regression techniques to control for a comprehensive set of economic, demographic, geographic, and historic conditioning factors, as well as adjusting for potential endogeneities. Results show that Africa lags behind all other regions of the developing world in its infrastructure endowment, except in ICT. By far the largest gaps arise in the power sector, with generating capacity and household access to electricity at half the levels observed in South Asia. While it is often assumed that Africa's infrastructure deficit is largely a reflection of its relatively low income levels, the authors find that African countries have much more limited infrastructure than income peers in other parts of the developing world. Countries that face the most challenging environment, with low population density, weak governance, and history of conflict, have the poorest infrastructure endowments. At the outset of the data series, Africa was doing significantly better than other developing regions for road density, generation capacity, and fixed-line telephones, but Africa's relative position has deteriorated over time. The most dramatic loss of ground has come in electrical generating capacity, which has stagnated since 1980. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4912
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 95
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    AIDS and dualism : Ethiopia's burden under rational expectations (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4919
    Parallel Title: Bell, Clive AIDS and dualism
    Keywords: AIDS (Disease) Economic aspects ; AIDS (Disease) Economic aspects
    Abstract: "An AIDS epidemic threatens Ethiopia with a long wave of premature adult mortality, and thus with an enduring setback to capital formation and economic growth. The authors develop a two-sector model with three overlapping generations and intersectorally mobile labor, in which young adults allocate resources under rational expectations. They calibrate the model to the demographic and economic data, and perform simulations for the period ending in 2100 under alternative assumptions about mortality with and without the epidemic. Although the epidemic does not bring about a catastrophic economic collapse, which is hardly possible in view of Ethiopia's poverty and high background adult mortality, it does cause a permanent, downward displacement of the path of output per head, amounting to 10 percent in 2100. An externally funded program to combat the disease is socially very profitable. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4919
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 96
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    Assessing the economic impacts of an economic partnership agreement on Nigeria (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4920
    Parallel Title: Andriamananjara, Soamiely Assessing the economic impacts of an economic partnership agreement on Nigeria
    Keywords: European Union countries Foreign economic relations ; Nigeria Foreign economic relations ; European Union countries Foreign economic relations ; Nigeria Foreign economic relations
    Abstract: "This study discusses potential economic implications for Nigeria of an Economic Partnership Agreement with the European Union. It uses the World Bank's Tariff Reform Impact Simulation Tool to assess the effects of preferential tariff liberalization with respect to the European Union. The results suggest that the impact of an Economic Partnership Agreement on total imports into Nigeria will be slight. This is in part because the Agreement will likely allow the most protected sectors to be excluded from liberalization, and also because where substantial tariffs are involved much of the increase in imports from the European Union will occur at the expense of other suppliers of imports. It is this trade diversion, arising from the discriminatory nature of the EPA, which generates a negative welfare impact of the tariff reforms. One way for Nigeria to limit these losses is to pursue non-preferential trade liberalization before implementing an EPA. The paper looks at the large number of import bans in Nigeria and argues that the positive impact on welfare of removing these import bans is likely to be substantial. Their removal would undermine a major reason for cross border smuggling and pave the way for a return to normal regional trade flows. The paper shows how an Economic Partnership Agreement presents an opportunity for accelerating the reforms that are needed to support a strategy to increase regional and global trade integration. Such an agreement is more likely to have positive and significant impacts when integrated into a comprehensive strategy toward competitiveness and alleviation of the supply constraints that have stifled the impact of previous trade agreements. Key issues that should be addressed include liberalization and regulatory strengthening of services sectors to ensure that all firms in Nigeria have access to efficiently produced backbone services and initiatives to address the country's poor trade logistics performance. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/7/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4920
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 97
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    Optimal devaluations (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4926
    Parallel Title: Hevia, Constantino Optimal devaluations
    Keywords: Devaluation of currency ; Recessions ; Devaluation of currency ; Recessions
    Abstract: "According to the conventional wisdom, when an economy enters a recession and nominal prices adjust slowly, the monetary authority should devalue the domestic currency to make the recession less severe. The reason is that a devaluation of the currency lowers the relative price of non-tradable goods, and this reduces the necessary adjustment in output relative to the case in which the exchange rate remains constant. This paper uses a simple small open economy model with sticky prices to characterize optimal fiscal and monetary policy in response to productivity and terms of trade shocks. Contrary to the conventional wisdom, in this framework optimal exchange rate policy cannot be characterized just by the cyclical properties of output. The source of the shock matters: while recessions induced by a drop in the price of exportable goods call for a devaluation of the currency, those induced by a drop in productivity in the non-tradable sector require a revaluation. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4926
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 98
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    The better you are the stronger it makes you : evidence on the asymmetric impact of liberalization (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4930
    Parallel Title: Iacovone, Leonardo The better you are the stronger it makes you
    Keywords: Free trade ; Industrial productivity ; Free trade ; Industrial productivity
    Abstract: "This paper studies how liberalization affects productivity growth using micro-level plant data. While previous studies have already shown the existence of a positive relationship between competition and economic performance, the novelty of this paper is that it analyzes not only the average impact of liberalization, but also goes "beyond the average" and shows how the liberalization can affect dissimilar plants in a different way. The author first develops a model which predicts that, while the impact of liberalization on productivity growth is positive "on average", more advanced firms tend to benefit more. In fact, liberalization generates two competing effects: on one side it spurs more innovative efforts because of the increased entry threat by foreign competitors, on the other side, enhanced competition curtails expected profits and reduces the funds available to finance innovative activities. The pro-competitive effect is weaker for less advanced firms as for them it is harder to catch-up with the "technology frontier". These predictions are then tested focusing on Mexican plants during the NAFTA liberalization. The results show that a 1 percent reduction in tariffs spurred productivity growth between 4 and 8 percent on average. However, for backward firms this effect is much weaker if not close to zero, otherwise for more advanced ones this effect is stronger with productivity growing between 11 and 13 percent. Consistent with the theoretical model the results are stronger in those sectors where the scope for innovative activities is more pronounced. These results are particularly important for policy makers because they suggest that while increasing competition may be good in spurring average productivity, it is also true that this effect does not hold for all type of firms, in particular more backward firms may need some complementary support policy to upgrade their capacities and keep up with the more competitive environment. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4930
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 99
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    Tax policy to reduce carbon emissions in South Africa (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4933
    Parallel Title: Available in another form Tax policy to reduce carbon emissions in South Africa
    Keywords: Carbon taxes ; Carbon taxes
    Abstract: "Noting that South Africa may be one of the few African countries that could contribute to mitigating climate change, the authors explore the impact of a carbon tax relative to alternative energy taxes on economic welfare. Using a disaggregate general-equilibrium model of the South African economy, they capture the structural characteristics of the energy sector, linking a supply mix that is heavily skewed toward coal to energy use by different sectors and hence their carbon content. The authors consider a "pure" carbon tax as well as various proxy taxes such as those on energy or energy-intensive sectors like transport and basic metals, all of which achieve the same level of carbon reduction. In general, the more targeted the tax to carbon emissions, the better the welfare results. If a carbon tax is feasible, it will have the least marginal cost of abatement by a substantial amount when compared to alternative tax instruments. If a carbon tax is not feasible, a sales tax on energy inputs is the next best option. Moreover, labor market distortions such as labor market segmentation or unemployment will likely dominate the welfare and equity implications of a carbon tax for South Africa. This being the case, if South Africa were able to remove some of the distortions in the labor market, the cost of carbon taxation would be negligible. In short, the discussion of carbon taxation in South Africa can focus on considerations other than the economic welfare costs, which are likely to be quite low. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4933
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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  • 100
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    Uncivil societies : a theory of sociopolitical change (2009)
    [Washington, D.C] : World Bank
    Details
    Language: English
    Pages: Online-Ressource
    Edition: 2009 World Bank eLibrary Also available in print
    Series Statement: Policy research working paper 4942
    Parallel Title: Monga, Célestin Uncivil societies
    Keywords: Civil society ; Economic development ; Civil society ; Economic development
    Abstract: "In times of crises, it is always useful to revisit some of the paradigms that underlie collective thinking and action. For nearly 200 years, most social science has relied on the assumption that the emergence of strong and nurturing social capital through a vibrant civil society yields all kind of positive externalities to society. Following intuition and anecdotal observations from Alexis de Tocqueville, a large body of theoretical and empirical research has attempted to confirm that societies strive politically and economically when they are able to build strong non-state actors and community organizations. Many disciplines-mainly political science, economics, law, and international relations-have constructed influential analytical frameworks in support of that general proposition. This paper examines the philosophical foundations of conventional wisdom and observes that it often fails to take into account the dark side of some civil society groups, from the mafia to Al Qaeda. While acknowledging the potential contribution of civil society to the development process, the paper also cautions again the rush to circumvent the state, which sometimes sustains community-based initiatives in poor countries. It suggests the possibility of the production of negative social capital by non-state actors. "--World Bank web site
    Note: Includes bibliographical references , Title from PDF file as viewed on 5/26/2009 , Also available in print.
    DOI: 10.1596/1813-9450-4942
    URL: Volltext  (Deutschlandweit zugänglich)
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