Child labour and education: Evidence from SIMPOC surveys

This document is part of a digital collection provided by the Martin P. Catherwood Library, ILR School, Cornell University, pertaining to the effects of globalization on the workplace worldwide. Special emphasis is placed on labor rights, working conditions, labor market changes, and union organizing.ILO_ChildLabourandEducation_SIMPOCSurveys.pdf: 617 downloads, before Oct. 1, 2020

Stochastic duality and eigenfunctions

We start from the observation that, anytime two Markov generators share an eigenvalue, the function constructed from the product of the two eigenfunctions associated to this common eigenvalue is a duality function. We push further this observation and provide a full characterization of duality relations in terms of spectral decompositions of the generators for finite state space Markov processes. Moreover, we study and revisit some well-known instances of duality, such as Siegmund duality, and extract spectral information from it. Next, we use the same formalism to construct all duality functions for some solvable examples, i.e., processes for which the eigenfunctions of the generator are explicitly known

Implementing collaborative improvement, top-down, bottom-up, or both?

The research presented in this paper was aimed at increasing the current understanding of the process of developing collaborative improvement in Extended Manufacturing Enterprises (EME). Based on action research and action learning of three EMEs involving a total of thirteen companies from five European countries, the present study identifies three different approaches to collaborative improvement (CoI), that is, inter-organisational continuous improvement. One approach to CoI focuses on learning at a practical level, developing this knowledge into strategic and theoretical knowledge. We call this the bottom-up learning-bydoing approach. Another approach focuses on goal alignment and assessment to provide a foundation for improvement before actually improving. We call this the top-down directive approach. Yet another approach focuses on shared goals/vision and meeting on equal terms, and joint work in a non-directive matter. This is the laissez-faire approach. The different approaches influence the collaborative improvement results achieved, and how and why they do so is the question addressed this article

Hydrodynamics for the partial exclusion process in random environment

In this paper, we introduce a random environment for the exclusion process in $\Z^d$ obtained by assigning a maximal occupancy to each site. This maximal occupancy is allowed to randomly vary among sites, and partial exclusion occurs. Under the assumption of ergodicity under translation and uniform ellipticity of the environment, we derive a quenched hydrodynamic limit in path space by strengthening the mild solution approach initiated in \cite{nagy_symmetric_2002} and \cite{faggionato_bulk_2007}. To this purpose, we prove, employing the technology developed for the random conductance model, a homogenization result in the form of an arbitrary starting point quenched invariance principle for a single particle in the same environment, which is a result of independent interest. The self-duality property of the partial exclusion process allows us to transfer this homogenization result to the particle system and, then, apply the tightness criterion in \cite{redig_symmetric_2018}

Migración en la región mediterránea: una respuesta a las crisis y una emergencia por derecho propio

Migration is an obvious response to political, economic, socio-demographic, and ecological crises. In recent decades, several crises have occurred in the Mediterranean region; consequently, migration has intensified, the geography of flows has been altered, and the roles of some countries within the Mediterranean migration system have rapidly changed. This paper aims to delineate an overview of migration flows in this region over the last 20 years, focusing on the new migration flows related to humanitarian crises. In doing so, the present study also examines similarities and differences between past and current migration factors that shape the decisions of individuals. Migration flows are closely linked to the needs and fears of European societies. Following this logic, and by analysing challenges related to demographic and geopolitical dimensions in the future scenario, this study discusses the necessity of new policy responses.Las migraciones son una respuesta obvia a las crisis políticas, económicas, sociales y ecológicas. Durante las últimas décadas se han producido varias crisis en la región mediterránea; en consecuencia, las migraciones se han intensificado, la geografía de los flujos se ha alterado y los papeles de algunos países dentro del sistema migratorio mediterráneo han cambiado rápidamente. Este artículo pretende ofrecer una visión general de los flujos migratorios en esta región durante los últimos veinte años, centrándose en los nuevos flujos relacionados con las crisis humanitarias. El presente estudio también examina similitudes y diferencias entre los factores migratorios pasados y actuales que influyen sobre las decisiones individuales. Los flujos migratorios están estrechamente vinculados a las necesidades y a los desasosiegos de las sociedades europeas. Siguiendo esta lógica, al analizar los desafíos relacionados con las dimensiones demográficas y geopolíticas en el escenario futuro, este estudio discute la necesidad de una nueva respuesta política.Part of this work was carried out within the financial support provided by the Italian Ministry of University and Research, 2017 MIUR-PRIN Grant N. 2017W5B55Y (“The Great Demographic Recession”) and within the Horizon2020 FUME project (Future Migration Scenarios for Europe), Grant ID. 870649. Project website: https://futuremigration.eu & https://greatdemographicrecession.home.blo

Migration in the Mediterranean region: A response to crises and an emergency in its own right.

Migration is an obvious response to political, economic, socio-demographic, and ecological crises. In recent decades, several crises have occurred in the Mediterranean region; consequently, migration has intensified, the geography of flows has been altered, and the roles of some countries within the Mediterranean migration system have rapidly changed. This paper aims to delineate an overview of migration flows in this region over the last 20 years, focusing on the new migration flows related to humanitarian crises. In doing so, the present study also examines similarities and differences between past and current migration factors that shape the decisions of individuals. Migration flows are closely linked to the needs and fears of European societies. Following this logic, and by analysing challenges related to demographic and geopolitical dimensions in the future scenario, this study discusses the necessity of new policy responses.Las migraciones son una respuesta obvia a las crisis políticas, económicas, sociales y ecológicas. Durante las últimas décadas se han producido varias crisis en la región mediterránea; en consecuencia, las migraciones se han intensificado, la geografía de los flujos se ha alterado y los papeles de algunos países dentro del sistema migratorio mediterráneo han cambiado rápidamente. Este artículo pretende ofrecer una visión general de los flujos migratorios en esta región durante los últimos veinte años, centrándose en los nuevos flujos relacionados con las crisis humanitarias. El presente estudio también examina similitudes y diferencias entre los factores migratorios pasados y actuales que influyen sobre las decisiones individuales. Los flujos migratorios están estrechamente vinculados a las necesidades y a los desasosiegos de las sociedades europeas. Siguiendo esta lógica, al analizar los desafíos relacionados con las dimensiones demográficas y geopolíticas en el escenario futuro, este estudio discute la necesidad de una nueva respuesta polític

Duality and Stationary Distributions of the “Immediate Exchange Model” and Its Generalizations

We prove that the "Immediate Exchange Model" of econophysics has a discrete dual, where the duality functions are those connecting the Brownian Energy Process and the Symmetric Inclusion Process. As a consequence, we recover invariance of products of Gamma distributions with shape parameter 2, and obtain ergodicity results. Next we show similar properties of a generalized model, where the exchange fraction is $Beta(s,t)$ distributed (instead of uniform), and product measures with \mbox{Gamma}(s+t) marginals are invariant. We prove that the discrete dual has the self-duality property, and prove full SU(1,1) for both the continuous and discrete model.Comment: 24 pages, one figure. Substantial reworking on the previous version; proof of self-duality for the general case, full SU(1,1) of the continuous and discrete mode

(Machine) Learning from the COVID-19 Lockdown about Electricity Market Performance with a Large Share of Renewables

The negative demand shock due to the COVID-19 lockdown has reduced net demand for electricity -- system demand less amount of energy produced by intermittent renewables, hydroelectric units, and net imports -- that must be served by controllable generation units. Under normal demand conditions, introducing additional renewable generation capacity reduces net demand. Consequently, the lockdown can provide insights about electricity market performance with a large share of renewables. We find that although the lockdown reduced average day-ahead prices in Italy by 45%, re-dispatch costs increased by 73%, both relative to the average of the same magnitude for the same period in previous years. We estimate a deep-learning model using data from 2017--2019 and find that predicted re-dispatch costs during the lockdown period are only 26% higher than the same period in previous years. We argue that the difference between actual and predicted lockdown period re-dispatch costs is the result of increased opportunities for suppliers with controllable units to exercise market power in the re-dispatch market in these persistently low net demand conditions. Our results imply that without grid investments and other technologies to manage low net demand conditions, an increased share of intermittent renewables is likely to increase costs of maintaining a reliable grid