Philosophy & Architecture

Philosophy & Architecture special number of philosophy@LISBON (International eJournal) 5 | 2016 edited by Tomás N. Castro with Maribel Mendes Sobreira Centro de Filosofia da Universidade de Lisboa ISSN 2182-437

Examining the role of entrepreneurship in economic development in Appalachia

Increasing uncertainty in the world economy has created challenges for regions to pursue development strategies to achieve economic growth. Globalization, increased marketing integration, and the advent of new technologies led to approaches from traditional industrial recruiting to less traditional approaches. Among these latter approaches is the increased importance of entrepreneurship for creating economic growth through establishment of new firms or growth from established firms. Exploring the characteristics of entrepreneurship and its contributions to the local economy can help develop a map for designing specific development policies for Appalachia.;The main objective of the study is to determine the relationship between regional growth and entrepreneurship. To examine the role of entrepreneurship in economic growth, this study used a regional economic growth model using a system of simultaneous equations. Data on 410 counties of Appalachia is employed where measures of entrepreneurial activity are constructed and regressed against measures of economic growth. The simultaneous equation model is used where the dynamics of population growth, employment growth, and per capita income growth is utilized to determine how regional factors affect patterns of growth. The focus is how entrepreneurial factors influence growth in population, employment, and per capita income. Entrepreneurship variables are constructed from proprietorship and firm births and deaths data. In addition, quality of human capital, agglomeration, poverty, infrastructure, natural amenities, government expenditures, crime, and taxes are used in estimating the models. The growth model is specified as a three- and a four-equation model regressed using ordinary least squares (OLS) and two-stage least squares (2-SLS) regressions. The three-equation growth model is empirically estimated using the methods of two-stage least squares (2-SLS) and ordinary least squares (OLS) regressions. Simultaneous equations are estimated using 2-SLS to account for the endogeneity issue in variables used as both dependent and explanatory variables. These variables include the measures of growth and the constructed entrepreneurship index in the four-equation model.;The results of estimating the change in population equation show that employment growth positively affects population growth. Considering entrepreneurship, firm births and population growth are positively related. In addition, firm death is found to negatively affect change in population. While population density and quality of infrastructure increase county population, percentage of families below poverty level, education, and the initial value of population have negative effects towards population growth. The empirical results in estimating the change in employment equation in both three and four-equation models indicate that growth in population is positively related with employment growth. Therefore, the study further supports the jobs follow people and people follow jobs theory. Results also show that employment growth and per capita income growth are positively related. Self-employment and firm births are found to have positive effects in determining increases in county employment. Firm death is found to negatively affect employment which further supports the theory on the role of entrepreneurship in increasing job creation. Crime rate is also found to reduce job creation. However, both estimation methods indicate negative relationships between natural amenities ranking and employment growth which is in contrast to the hypothesis. Furthermore, per capita taxes show positive effects in county employment growth. OLS results also show a positive effect of population density and negative effects of property taxes and the share of population 35 to 64 years old towards employment growth.;Empirical results in estimating the per capita income equation show that population growth negatively affects increases in per capita income. The initial value of per capita income is found to be positive in determining per capita income growth in all three estimations. Further, the estimation indicates a negative relationship between growth in firm deaths and per capita income growth. The OLS estimation revealed that increases in the number of self-employed and increases in per capita income are related. The lagged value of per capita income growth is positive in relation to per capita income growth in all three estimations. In addition, the hypothesis on the positive effects of education in increasing income is supported in all three estimations. While the results show positive relationships between the share of population 35 to 64 years old and per capita income growth, negative relationships exist between state road density and change in per capita income. The estimation of the entrepreneurship equation in the four-equation model shows significant relationships with all the other endogenous variables. However, a positive association is observed only between the employment growth and the growth in entrepreneurial activity.;The study recommends supporting the creation of an entrepreneurial environment to encourage entrepreneurial activity as a strategy to increase employment. Furthermore, supporting existing entrepreneurs and avoiding firm deaths may help in achieving economic growth. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)

LAND TENURE AND SOCIOECONOMIC INTERACTIONS

The study analyzed the determinants of land tenure insecurity in Uganda using survey data collected by the International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI) during the Policies for Improved Land Management Project in Uganda, 1999-2001. The survey included a sample of 1322 farm households randomly selected and interviewed using a formal questionnaire. The analysis revealed that tenure category, number of households in the village involved in disputes outside the village, and the number of households in the village who lost land as a result of a dispute over land were significant factors affecting tenure insecurity.Land Economics/Use,

AN EMPIRICAL ANALYSIS OF THE LINK BETWEEN ENTREPRENEURSHIP AND ECONOMIC GROWTH IN WEST VIRGINIA

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

A County-Level Assessment of Entrepreneurship and Economic Growth in Appalachia using Simultaneous Equations

This study provides evidence of the contribution of entrepreneurship to economic development in Appalachia. Using data on Appalachian counties, a system of simultaneous equations is empirically estimated to measure the effects of entrepreneurship on economic growth and development. We present an expanded Carlino-Mills growth model using changes in population, employment, and per capita income to represent growth. The goal of the investigation is to increase the understanding of entrepreneurship’s contributions to economic growth, and its potential as a development strategy for a region, such as Appalachia, that is characterized by poverty and underdevelopment. The results show that start-up businesses contribute significantly to determining population growth. Employment growth is positively affected by selfemployment rates as well as by firm formation rates

Valuing Community Attributes in Rural Counties in West Virginia: An Application of Data Envelopment Analysis

The study used Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) to examine community attributes of rural counties in West Virginia using variables determining quality of life. This analysis was done to understand the value of the social and economic characteristics associated with different communities as migration patterns in the US are mostly attributed to community characteristics determining the residents’ valuation of the quality of life in an area. County level data was used to identify counties that are inefficient, measured in terms of socioeconomic factors. The data is composed of output variables representing desirable community attributes and input variables representing the undesirable characteristics. Analysis was done by using Data Envelopment Analysis to calculate efficiency scores among rural counties in the State as quantitative measures of the efficient production of quality of life within communities. The results show that the majority of the rural counties in the State lie on the efficiency frontier, while others are classified to be inefficient. The research findings are of interest to policy makers as indicators of community performance which can be used for evaluating counties in terms of quality of life

Public support of innovative activity in small and large firms in Mexico

The National Science and Technology Council (CONACYT) was established in 1970 by the Mexican government. CONACYT was formed to promote the scientific development and technological modernization of Mexico through developing high-level human resources, encouraging research projects, and disseminating scientific/technological information. In 2009, CONACYT launched the Innovation Stimulus Program (PEI) to foster enterprises’ innovation activities and to encourage collaboration on innovation activities among firms and between firms and public research institutes and higher education institutions. Based on an analysis of project data from the PEI program over the years 2009 through 2014, we found that large firms are more innovative than small firms. And, firms that are more innovative are those that had prior funded research, collaborated with universities in the funded research project, added new employees during the research project, and faced larger markets for their innovations

A personal development framework on core values for catholic school teachers

This study identified the basic education Catholic School teachers’ personal lived and desired core values as well as the challenges faced in living out those core values and how they faced those challenges. It probed how teachers envision their school community if core values are lived out and recognized the school programs, activities, and support needed to enhance their core values. Phenomenological research was conducted that applied Appreciative Inquiry and validated online interviews were utilized for data gathering which was participated by twenty-five (25) teachers and five (5) principals from five Catholic schools in Metro Manila. The results showed that the most lived core values are being Maka-Diyos (Love of God), Makatao (Love of Others), Makakalikasan (Love of Creation), Makabansa (Love of Country), and Mahusay (Excellence). In living out these core values, they experienced challenges, particularly in managing their human nature, conflicting values with others, as well as time, energy, and resource management. If core values are fully lived out, the teachers envision their school to be a happy community with a healthy work culture in attaining its vision, mission, and goals for the transformation of society. To enhance core values, the teachers recommended spiritual formation, mental health programs, ongoing formation, community building, community extension, staffing, succession, coaching, mentoring, recognition programs, environmental, and nationalism, with emphasis on proper planning, organizing, leading, and controlling. Based on these data, the 4-B Personal Development Framework on Core Values for Catholic School Teachers was designed which highlights the importance of Being, Becoming, Building, and Balancing in enhancing the teachers’ core values

In vitro ruminal degradation of neutral detergent fiber insoluble protein from tropical pastures fertilized with nitrogen

The objective was to determine in vitro the NDF insoluble protein (NDIP) extension and degradation rate of four tropical grasses by the potential effect of N fertilization. The grasses (Andropogon gayanus, Brachiaria brizantha, Cynodon plectostachyus and Megathyrsus maximus) that grow in Mexico were used. Each grass was grown in four plots (5×5 m), fertilized (relationship equivalent to 0 and 100 kg N/ha) and clipped 35 d after the N fertilization. A complete randomized block design with factorial arrangement 4×2, and two replicates per treatment was used, where the factors were grass species and N fertilization. Non-protein nitrogen (NPN), buffer insoluble protein (IP), NDIP and acid detergent insoluble protein (ADIP) were performed. Freeze-dried samples were incubated at 0, 1.5, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24, 48 and 96 h. After fermentation, the CP content of the NDF residues was determined. An exponential equation was used to determine the rate of the NDIP disappearance. There was no detectable interaction between type of grass and fertilization level. The NDIP (as %CP) averaged 35 % with a range of 10 to 60 %. The NDIP variation was primarily due to species. The extent and rates of degradation of the NDIP were 70.6 % and 7.1 %/h respectively, with no N-fertilization effect. The NDIP was degraded faster (P≤0.05) than NDF (7.7 vs 5.0 %/h). These data show that the NDIP is ruminally degraded and that this fraction significantly contributes to the rumen nitrogen supply