QUALITATIVE ANSWERING SURVEYS AND SOFT COMPUTING

In this work, we reflect on some questions about the measurement problem in economics and, especially, their relationship with the scientific method. Statistical sources frequently used by economists contain qualitative information obtained from verbal expressions of individuals by means of surveys, and we discuss the reasons why it would be more adequately analyzed with soft methods than with traditional ones. Some comments on the most commonly applied techniques in the analysis of these types of data with verbal answers are followed by our proposal to compute with words. In our view, an alternative use of the well known Income Evaluation Question seems especially suggestive for a computing with words approach, since it would facilitate an empirical estimation of the corresponding linguistic variable adjectives. A new treatment of the information contained in such surveys would avoid some questions incorporated in the so called Leyden approach that do not fit to the actual world.Computing with words, Leyden approach, qualitative answering surveys, fuzzy logic

Ressenyes

Ressenya de: Congreso Internacional sobre Giordano Bruno en Barcelona

Evaluation of Cross-Border Leakages in Community Support Frameworks. The case of Andalusia (Spain).

The enlargement of the European Union to 25 members implies that relative position of Andalusia will improve with regard to the new GDP per capita average. This fact may derive a reduction in structural funds support for this Spanish region objective 1. This paper is focused in the ex-post assessment of the CSF 1994–99 in Andalusia. Direct and indirect effects, as well as cross-border leakage are analysed. We aim to compare stimuli induced from structural funds in the rest of the national economy with those remaining in Andalusia. If effects on the rest of Spain were important in relative terms, the central idea of regional policy, which defines community convergence tools, would be questioned. Results show evidences for this hypothesis in the case of Andalusia, given the importance of the effects generated in the rest of Spain and the biases of CSF funds towards sectors with a high need for imports, some of which are characterized by an intensive use of the region’s natural resources. Key Words: Structural Funds; Ex-post Evaluation; Convergence; Input-Output; Cross-border leakages. JEL classification: C67; C82; R58

FUZZY COMPARATIVE CONCORDANCE ANALYSIS. Proposal and evaluation by a case study

In this paper it is proposed a fuzzy multiple attribute analysis, that we have called comparative concordance, as a help instrument to the decision-making process in an environment of lack of precise information as it generally is the decision-making in regional planning. Through an application to the selection of proceeding programs of the Environmental Plan of Andalusia, 1995-2000, it will be compared to other methods.fuzzy sets, multiple attribute decision, environmental planning

Aplicación de la teoría de grafos al estudio de los cambios en las relaciones intersectoriales de la economía andaluza en la década de los 80

En este trabajo se utiliza la teoría de grafos (graphs theory) y el análisis input-output (input-output analysis) para analizar los cambios habidos en la economía de la región de Andalucía (España) entre 1980 y 1990.graphs theory, input-output analysis, structural analysis

Minería de datos y lógica difusa.Una aplicación al estudio de la rentabilidad económica de las empresas agroalimentarias en Andalucía

En este trabajo se estudia la rentabilidad de la empresa agroalimentaria en Andalucía (España)mediante un conjunto de ratios, elaborados por el Instituto de Estadística de Andalucía a partir de la Central de Balances de Actividades Empresariales de Andalucía. El objeto es encontrar las características contables de las empresas más rentables. Los aspectos metodológicos que se contemplan en la aplicación comprenden algunas técnicas estadísticas avanzadas y nuevos métodos de extracción de conocimiento en grandes bases de datos (knowledge discovery y data mining). Las conclusiones a que se llega, expresadas en forma de reglas difusas obtenidas de la base de datos mediante la “teoría computacional de la percepción” (Zadeh, 2001; Last, Klein y Kandel, 2001), parecen plenamente congruentes con los postulados del análisis financiero.Si la rotación de activos es baja, no hay altas rentabilidades. Por el contrario, una importante rotación del activo, acompañada por una aceptable situación de liquidez, es lo que caracteriza a las empresas más rentables.Data mining, knowledge discovery, exploratory data analysis, neural networks, decision trees, accounting ratios, return of assets.

Key Sectors. A New Proposal From Network Theory

The determination of key sectors (Perroux, 1955; Hirschman, 1958) has raised a long tradition of studies in the input-output field. Their analysis allows the identification of those sectors has a high effect in the demand and supply of the system and therefore, they constitute the basis of the growth and development of a territory. With the aim of standing out those sectors with a more relevant position in the economy, we propose from the network theory a definition of centrality that we consider it is new new in the input-output field. This definition is based in the consideration of three complementary characteristics: total effects, mediative effects and inmediate effects. These measures called for us multilevel indicators have the enormous advantage of allowing the comparison between structures of different size and approach the key sector concept thorough a relational and global view.

Evaluation of Cross-Border Leakages in Community Support Frameworks. The case of Andalusia (Spain).

The enlargement of the European Union to 25 members implies that relative position of Andalusia will improve with regard to the new GDP per capita average. This fact may derive a reduction in structural funds support for this Spanish region objective 1. This paper is focused in the ex-post assessment of the CSF 1994–99 in Andalusia. Direct and indirect effects, as well as cross-border leakage are analysed. We aim to compare stimuli induced from structural funds in the rest of the national economy with those remaining in Andalusia. If effects on the rest of Spain were important in relative terms, the central idea of regional policy, which defines community convergence tools, would be questioned. Results show evidences for this hypothesis in the case of Andalusia, given the importance of the effects generated in the rest of Spain and the biases of CSF funds towards sectors with a high need for imports, some of which are characterized by an intensive use of the region’s natural resources. Key Words: Structural Funds; Ex-post Evaluation; Convergence; Input-Output; Cross-border leakages. JEL classification: C67; C82; R5