Composition of families and subjective economic well-being: an application to Italian context

Using Italian data on Income and Living Conditions for the year 2005, the paper explores empirically whether the determinants of subjective economic well-being (SEW) differ (or not) in four representative typologies of households. By means of a Partial Proportional Ordered Logit Model the subjective economic well-being \u2013 proxied by the capacity of households to make ends meet \u2013 has been explored. Results highlight the variables acting on SEW, common to each typology, are related both to economic status (specifically, the capacity to pay taxes and to afford housing, clothes and holiday expenditures) and to socio-demographic status (specifically, the work-status and the highest level of education). A more in depth analysis, by level of education, shows the economic precariousness of some specific typologies, namely families with one person, with two or more children, and those whose respondent has a very low level of education

Adequação de propriedades rurais ao Código Florestal Brasileiro: estudo de caso no Estado do Paraná.

O Código Florestal Brasileiro de 1965 conceitua e regulamenta as Áreas de Preservação Permanente (APP) e Reserva Legal (RL). Para regulamentar a adequação das propriedades agrícolas ao código florestal, o estado do Paraná instituiu o SISLEG - Sistema de Manutenção, Recuperação e Proteção da Reserva Legal e Áreas de Preservação Permanente. Neste estudo foram quantificadas, com auxílio do sistema de posicionamento global (GPS) e programas de Sistemas de Informações Geográficas (SIG), as APPs e RLs de 147 propriedades em oito municípios das regiões centro-oriental e sudeste do Paraná, visando analisá-las frente ao Código Florestal vigente. Observou-se expressiva cobertura florestal formada por fragmentos de Floresta Ombrófila Mista; as superfícies disponíveis para definição de RL apresentam valores superiores àqueles requeridos pela legislação. Há necessidade de recomposição das APPs em 67% das propriedades; 26% das propriedades estão de acordo com as exigências do Código Florestal. A quantificação da cobertura florestal necessária e remanescente, tal como a pequena demanda de área para readequação de APP (5% da área total) permitem inferir que esses quesitos não são entraves para a regularização ambiental da agricultura familiar, nas propriedades analisadas

Impact of Urban Conditions of Firm Performance of Migrant Entrepreneurs: A Comparative Dutch - US Study

Recent studies on ethnic entrepreneurship have pointed at an increasing share of migrants in urban small- and medium-sized entrepreneurial businesses. These migrant activities are crucial to the urban economy in many countries, as they employ a significant part of the workforce. The main objective of our study is to identify success conditions of ethnic entrepreneurship by using concepts from social capital and human capital from the literature on empirical factors that are responsible for successful ethnic entrepreneurship. The empirical part of the paper is based on a survey questionnaire among migrant entrepreneurs in the city of Amsterdam in the Netherlands and in Fairfax, County in the state of Virginia in the US. We present an overview of cultural, ethno-psychological and motivational aspects that contribute to the understanding of similarities and differences between ethnic entrepreneurs in both locations. The analysis is structured around several dimensions of social and human capital including personal and business characteristics, and network participation for improving business performance. The findings of the two studies are compared to explore a possible correspondence in business performance patterns. The research tool used to assess performance is Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA), a technique for comparative efficiency analysis in various types of corporate organizations. Finally, concluding remarks are presented and possible extensions of the analysis are suggested. © Springer-Verlag 2009

Web Usage Mining and Website Effectiveness

Nel seguente articolo sono state utilizzate tecniche di Usage Mining al fine di valutare l’efficacia del website di un’azienda di ricettività turistica distinguendo tra comportamento di navigazione di utenti PC e utenti mobile. I risultati ottenuti hanno evidenziato problematiche relative alla progettazione del sito in questione.Using usage mining techniques, the study explores the effectiveness of a tourism business website focussing on the differences between desk and mobile user browsing behaviour. Results indicate important direction for a rethink of the website design

Consumption Patterns and Family Life-Cycle. Some Evidence from Italy

As a social and economic entity the family is changing continuously. Changes in family size and composition have significant effects on the family decision making process. The Italian context is an interesting subject for research as a result of the impact of demographic and economic changes in the early 2000s on new family structures and economic behaviour. Furthermore, in Italy in contrast to the past, both men and women are aiming for job security and satisfaction before marrying and starting a family. In the light of that, it is particularly interesting to investigate if consumption behaviour changes along the life cycle stages. Considering different family life stages enables us to explore at each stage of the family life cycle (FLC) whether families differ in their consumption habits, needs and financial possibilities. An analysis of consumption behaviour over FLC is highly relevant in the period of the global economic crisis and the consequent great recession (i.e. 2011-2012). During this period Italian families experienced severe liquidity constraints which strongly affected their purchasing power. This study aims to explore whether consumption behaviour differs among families and how the decision making process changes over the family life cycle. To this end, micro data on the Italian Family Budget carried out by the Italian Office of Statistics was used for the years 2002, 2006, 2010 and 2012

Composition of families and subjective economic well-being: an application to Italian context

Using Italian data on Income and Living Conditions for the year 2005, the paper explores empirically whether the determinants of subjective economic well-being (SEW) differ (or not) in four representative typologies of households. By means of a Partial Proportional Ordered Logit Model the subjective economic well-being – proxied by the capacity of households to make ends meet – has been explored. Results highlight the variables acting on SEW, common to each typology, are related both to economic status (specifically, the capacity to pay taxes and to afford housing, clothes and holiday expenditures) and to socio-demographic status (specifically, the work-status and the highest level of education). A more in depth analysis, by level of education, shows the economic precariousness of some specific typologies, namely families with one person, with two or more children, and those whose respondent has a very low level of education

Inequalities in Consumption Patterns over the Life Cycle and the Great Recession

The aim of the study is to analyse the relationship between recession, population structure and consumption behaviour over the life cycle. To this aim, we consider three clusters of non-durable expenditures such as food at home, work-related and core expenditures. The analysis has been performed on micro data on the Household Budgets for the period 1997-2013. Based on life cycle theory, two statistical models has been estimated, viz. a pre-crisis (1997-2007) and a great recession period (2008-2013) model. The study shows that the recession has entailed a reduction of the average expenditure for each category of consumption, and the intensity of the reduction is different among households and generations