What is the impact of Private and Public R&D on Clean Technology Firms’ Performance? An International Perspective.

Research and Development (R&D) has often been cited as key to promote the development of clean technologies in both the short and long run. Robust economic performance for clean technology firms may occur in countries in which research and development is conducted by governments as well as by businesses. The goal of this paper is to examine how private and public R&D affects firm profitability. Utilizing an international data set of clean technology firms, this study finds performance of clean technology firms to be quite favorable when compared to firms in the MSCI World index. The study examines how different countries perform in these industries. Finally, the impact both corporate and public R&D have had on these firms’ performance is analyze

Sustainability as corporate culture of a brand for superior performance

This is the post-print version of the final paper published in the Journal of World Business. The published article is available from the link below. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. Copyright @ 2012 Elsevier B.V.Sustainability research highlights new challenges and opportunities for businesses. This paper reviews the literature to understand the ability of sustainable green initiatives when practiced as a corporate culture to individually create new opportunities for operations, management and marketing. According to current research, business opportunities exclusively available to different functions of a firm can drive its performance. The role of marketing in the achievement of superior performance by virtue of sustainability practices is also explained by the existing literature. Branding literature, however, fails to explain the influence of a brand on sustainability-driven opportunities available to a firm for superior performance. The objective of this study is to explore if a brand can strengthen the ability of sustainability-based green initiatives of managers to drive opportunities available to a firm for superior performance. A conceptual framework grounded in the triple bottom line theory is presented based on the assumption that brand as a stimulating factor can accelerate the conversion of opportunities available to a business into superior performance. Academic and managerial perspectives have been used to draw upon the implications of the model. Both practitioners and academic researchers will benefit from future research on this topic

Using contingent valuation with undergraduate students to elicit a community's preferences for wind farm development

This article presents the results of a survey that elicited the value of the perceived net benefits associated with the implementation of a wind farm in a rural community in upstate New York. The survey was designed and administered by upper level undergraduate students enrolled in an environmental economics course at Saint Lawrence University. Results may give instructors interested in introducing more applied research in the classroom an idea of what to expect. The analysis of this project may also suggest policy implications for the implementation of wind farms.

Cost Analysis of a Home Visiting Program to Cost Analysis of a Home Visiting Program to Cost Analysis of a Home Visiting Program to Prevent Child Abuse and Neglect

In a time of fiscal cutback, analysis of program costs can help decision makers allocate resources. This paper presents the results of an economic cost evaluation of a countywide universal home visiting program to reduce child abuse and neglect. Results indicate that the average cost amounted to $4,378/family/year. This includes an average of 2.1 visits by a Public Health Nurse and 29 home visits by Family Visitors. The full cost of professional services appeared to be significantly higher than that of paraprofessionals. Families with more risk factors were more likely to accept services than families with fewer risk factors. These findings can be helpful in planning the costs associated with similar program implementation.cost analysis; home program; child abuse and neglect

The Effects of a Green Nudge on Municipal Solid Waste: Evidence from a Clear Bag Policy

We explore the power of behavioral economic insights to influence the level of households' recycling and Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) by examining the effectiveness of a green nudge, the adoption of a Clear Bag Policy that was implemented in 2015 in a mid-size urban municipality in Canada. Using a Regression Discontinuity (RD) Design on universe administrative data, our analysis shows that this green nudge promoted recycling, and reduced both refuse and total MSW. While recycling increased by 15 percent, total MSW decreased by 27 percent overall between August 2015 and July 2017. Our results also demonstrate heterogeneity in response to a Clear Bag Policy across neighborhoods with varying socioeconomic indicators. Our findings suggest that green nudges can serve as effective policy instruments in devising future environment policies