Locally Complete Path Independent Choice Functions and Their Lattices

The concept of path independence (PI) was first introduced by Arrow (1963) as a defense of his requirement that collective choices be rationalized by a weak ordering. Plott (1973) highlighted the dynamic aspects of PI implicit in Arrow's initial discussion. Throughout these investigations two questions, both initially raised by Plott, remained unanswered. What are the precise mathematical foundations for path independence? How can PI choice functions be constructed? We give complete answers to both these questions for finite domains and provide necessary conditions for infinite domains. We introduce a lattice associated with each PI function. For finite domains these lattices coincide with locally lower distributive or meet-distributive lattices and uniquely characterize PI functions. We also present an algorithm, effective and exhaustive for finite domains, for the construction of PI choice functions and hence for all finite locally lower distributive lattices. For finite domains, a PI function is rationalizable if and only if the lattice is distributive. The lattices associated with PI functions that satisfy the stronger condition of the weak axiom of revealed preference are chains of Boolean algebras and conversely. Those that satisfy the strong axiom of revealed preference are chains and conversely.

Retaining Older Volunteers Is Key to Meeting Future Volunteer Needs

The boomers' impending retirement has spurred interest in tapping their productive energies to benefit society. This study examines older adults' decisions to stop or start formal volunteer work. The findings show that older adults usually stick with their original decisions, but more often stop than start volunteering. Volunteers who contribute a lot of hours over many years and who are married to volunteers are less likely to quit. And nonvolunteers are more likely to start volunteering if they have been uninvolved for few years and their spouses volunteer. The results highlight the importance of volunteer retention strategies for nonprofit agencies

ISSUES IN NONMARKET VALUATION AND POLICY APPLICATION: A RETROSPECTIVE GLANCE

While issues in estimating nonmarket values continue to cause concern, resource economists have more reason now than ever before to be optimistic. More progress toward improved measurement has been made in the past six years than in the previous quarter century since development of the contingent valuation and travel cost methods. The new challenge is to learn how to adjust past studies to estimate nonmarket values for future policy analysis. The process involves developing an understanding of the important variables that explain the observed difference in estimates. This paper illustrates how the results thus far could be adjusted to develop some tentative estimates of the recreation-use value of Forest Service resources.Research Methods/ Statistical Methods, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Boomers' Retirement Income Prospects

Examines how changing demographics and patterns in lifetime earnings, pension participation, and wealth accumulation among Americans born between 1946 and 1964 will shape baby boomers' economic well-being at age 70

Natural Resource Accounting Systems and Environmental Policy Modeling

Natural Resource Accounting (RCA) combines national income and product accounting concepts with analysis of natural resource and environmental issues. This paper considers this approach for the RCA Appraisal required by the Soil and Water Resources Conservation Act. Recent natural resource accounting literature is examined in light of requirements of the RCA Appraisal. The paper provides a critique of the economic content of the Second RCA Appraisal and develops a natural resource accounting framework for considering these same effects. Finally, the paper summarizes the benefits which might result from adopting a more explicit Natural Resource Accounting framework for the next RCA Appraisal

My Professor is Hot! Correlates of RateMyProfessors.com Ratings for Criminal Justice and Criminology Faculty Members

RateMyProfessors.com” ratings of the easiness, helpfulness, clarity, overall quality, and “hotness” of 407 criminal justice and criminology faculty members from across the United States were collected. Data were analyzed to determine what faculty characteristics determined these ratings. Experience working in the criminal justice field predicted higher ratings, while years of teaching experience was predictive of lower ratings. After controlling for instructors easiness and “hotness” ratings, the instructors’ ascribed characteristics (such as race and sex) explained the greatest proportion of variance in clarity, helpfulness, and overall quality scores. Professional characteristics, such as years of experience, publication rate, and possession of a doctorate were less influential on Ratemyprofessors.com scores

Objects-First Vs. Structures-First Approaches To 00 Programming Education: A Replication Study

One of the essential elements of a successful organization is information technology, which has as its basis effective and efficient software development. The foundation of software development is computer programming. The last decade of computer programming education has been dominated by the object-oriented paradigm. While recent anecdotal accounts among computer science and computer information systems educators have often favored the objects-first approach to programming instruction (vis-a-vis the structures-first approach), very little empirical evidence has been offered. A field study by Johnson and Moses (2008) suggested that the objects-first approach is superior, but the experimental design was open to criticism. This replication study significantly improves upon the experimental design yielding results that indicate neither the objects-first or the structures-first approach is preferred. While an inconclusive result may seem unimportant, it does provide needed guidance to educators to make pedagogical decisions based on other perhaps more important factors to help ensure the students\u27 success. On the positive side, the study does suggest that learning object-oriented programming is more difficult for novices than learning procedural programming, which is also important for programming educators

Communicating the Value of Ergonomics to Management – Part 2: Ergonomics ROI Case Study Applications

More than ever, human factors engineers and ergonomists need to justify our practice’s value to management. How can we effectively communicate with management? How should we present a Return on Investment (ROI) that leadership will find useful that addresses company profits, cost savings, productivity, first time quality, and turnover? What else does management care about other than ROI? This second panel in a two panel series will specifically highlight case studies in which presenters give examples of situations in which ROI for ergonomics was investigated from a business value. The session will start with four case study lectures followed by a panel discussion led by the moderators. The audience will be encouraged to participate with their own questions and comments