A cost-effectiveness analysis of demand- and supply-side education interventions

This paper is concerned with the issue of the most cost-effective way of improving access to education for poor households in developing countries. We consider two alternatives: (1) extensive expansion of the school system (i.e., bringing education to the poor) and (2) subsidizing investment in education by the poor (i.e., bringing the poor to the education system). To this end, we evaluate the Programa Nacional de Educación, Salud y Alimentación (PROGRESA), a large poverty alleviation program recently introduced in Mexico that subsidizes education. Using double-difference regression estimators on data collected before and after the program for randomly selected control and treatment households, we estimate the relative impacts of the demand- and supply-side program components. Combining these estimates with cost information, we find that the demand-side subsidies are substantially more cost-effective than supply-side expansions.Progresa. ,Education Mexico. ,Investments. ,Poverty alleviation Mexico. ,Subsidies Mexico. ,

A cost-effectiveness analysis of demand- and supply-side education interventions

This paper is concerned with the issue of the most cost-effective way of improving access to education for poor households in developing countries. We consider two alternatives: (1) extensive expansion of the school system (i.e., bringing education to the poor) and (2) subsidizing investment in education by the poor (i.e., bringing the poor to the education system). To this end, we evaluate the Programa Nacional de Educación, Salud y Alimentación (PROGRESA), a large poverty alleviation program recently introduced in Mexico that subsidizes education. Using double-difference regression estimators on data collected before and after the program for randomly selected control and treatment households, we estimate the relative impacts of the demand- and supply-side program components. Combining these estimates with cost information, we find that the demand-side subsidies are substantially more cost-effective than supply-side expansions.Progresa. ,Education Mexico. ,Investments. ,Poverty alleviation Mexico. ,Subsidies Mexico. ,

Program participation under means-testing and self-selection targeting methods

"Using data that enables us to distinguish between the different components of program participation (i.e., knowledge, application, and acceptance), we investigate the determinants of household behavior and program implementation in a social safety-net program that combines administrative and self-selection targeting methods. High undercoverage of eligible households primarily reflects lack of knowledge and binding budget constraints in poor areas. High leakage to ineligible households reflects the combination of their high levels of knowledge, application, and acceptance. Lowering undercoverage will require greater program awareness among the poor living in nonpoor areas and this is likely to come at the expense of substantial leakage to the nonpoor unless improvements are made to the verification process. Our results also suggest that in the presence of a budget constraint, the administrative selection process gives priority to the poorest households and those with children." Authors' AbstractMeans testing ,Targeting performance ,Social safety nets ,Oportunidades ,households ,

Program participation under means-testing and self-selection targeting methods

"The use of means testing for determining eligibility has become increasingly popular in developing countries wishing to improve the targeting performance of their social safety net programs. However, past experience shows that means testing often reduces program participation of eligible households—this is true even for universally available programs in developed countries. High non-take-up rates reflect the important role that self-selection patterns can play in program participation levels by different socioeconomic groups. Yet there is still very little empirical evidence on the nature and magnitude of the trade-offs between program coverage of the eligible population and targeting performance, especially for developing countries. This paper contributes to filling this gap by evaluating the targeting." From TextMeans testing ,Targeting performance ,Social safety nets ,Progress ,households ,Oportunidades ,

Getting back to the future: the role of management services in the alpha - beta generations

In an article published in Management Services Journal almost 25 years ago, the reported results of an industry study concluded that for most organisations, improvement initiatives and interventions had failed, wholly or partially, to deliver on their promise. One wonders if the results would be the same today? After reading the article once again, the problems of some of today’s businesses seem to have changed very little. But arguably, the future will be very different. Moreover, the role of management services and our practitioner skills will be in much greater need. Saying that, what will the future be recognised for? Can we predict with any confidence the next generation’s needs – the alpha-beta generations? How will society, business and commerce change from that of today? What are the likely scenarios

Improving productivity of a financial firm: business model evolution in the Caribbean

Purpose – This study explores the role of business model as a state variable during transformation of a financial institution to become a multinational enterprise. Prior studies of the Uppsala model overlooked business model evolution for cross-border productivity and performance. Design/methodology/approach – The research design employs the resource-based view for an in-depth case study of JMMB, a family-managed Jamaica-based financial firm, using data from primary and secondary sources, covering the period 1992 to 2014. Findings – JMMB’s business model was the channel through which resources and capabilities gave rise to an innovative product for successful positioning in an international network. This was augmented by strong family orientation toward customer service, a distinctive asset that shaped the nature and trajectory of the business model. Cross-border alliancing and risk management were crucial dynamic capabilities for replicating the business model in foreign markets. Research limitations/implications – While the observations are not generalizable to other firms, they indicate that a business model is a key unit of analysis for understanding how the firm makes the transition to become a multinational enterprise. Practical implications – Financial institutions may internationalize in a small island, developing stages through a strategy of focused product differentiation based on disruptive innovation with cross-border partnerships for ease of market entry and experiential learning. Social implications – The research has identified opportunities for effective and efficient work methods in pursuit of productivity gains. Originality/value – The study is the first to illustrate business model as a state variable in the Uppsala model of multinational enterprise evolution for a financial firm

The New Norm: Hedonic Adaptation Phase

Never before has management services been so vital to enterprises. It is incumbent upon our profession to ensure that workers have a safe environment and that activities do not result in harm – physical and psychological. COVID-19 has triggered a paradigm shift in society and work practices that now challenge the very bedrock of what we regard as normality. For instance, working from home (wfh) has identified numerous challenges for both workers and organisations1. What is also evident, is that the once strong support for stopping the spread of COVID-19 as a priority over economic recovery has swung considerably – even though numbers of infections has continued to rise. However, after some nine months of embracing the pandemic’s impact on virtually every facet of life, the health and wellbeing of people is now seriously at risk. Mental health-related compensation claims have risen 80% since COVID-19; and during this period more than a million Australians have sought mental health treatment, representing a 36% increase. This initial increase in psychological problems was to be expected. Indeed, with any significant change to hitherto embedded practices, there are invariably emotional reactions: the classic and recognisable fright, fear, fight, flight. However, the likelihood is that the change becomes normalised: described by the notion of hedonic adaptation – where the impact of a change is absorbed and becomes the ‘new norm’. For many, the changes have become accepted, but for others there is emotional resistance that could develop into psychological withdrawal. Meanwhile, what then are the lessons to be learned and what actions are required? What additional responsibilities must organisations bear to support staff? What leadership style is needed? What should be the organisation’s communication strategy? What must organisations do to minimise psychological health issues

Improving performance in project - based management: synthesizing strategic theories

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to explore benefits and issues of integrating the theory of constraints (TOC), resource-based view (RBV) and resource-dependence theory (RDT) with conventional project-based management frameworks. Design/methodology/approach Extant literature is used to develop a conceptual framework of an integrated model that will be tested for applied robustness. The model has been applied to published projects to identify its strengths and weaknesses. Findings The work shows important implications for improved success of projects from the use of TOC, RBV and RDT. Research limitations/implications While TOC, RBV and RDT are well established in the context of organization theory, there is limited application in project management. Moreover, the model has yet to be applied in the field. The hypotheses identified in this research are currently being tested using empirical investigation. Practical implications The research falls short in addressing some resources, e.g. innovation, tacit knowledge and decision-making methods in traditional project management context. Therefore, identifying these critical resources in future work and exploiting them as the means of improving project performance would enhance the success of project-based management. Social implications Project management is an emergent discipline and a project is temporary in nature. Therefore, new ideas and development of theories for project management practices are required. This innovative research, for example, may change the way projects are executed in future. Originality/value This paper examines the components of a successful project according to the iron triangle, i.e. scope, quality, time and cost. However, through the application of TOC, RBV and RDT into an integrated project-based management framework gives new insights to resources management

Blockchain technology: the missing link in services management? Part I

In October 2008, an unknown person or persons going by the nom de plume Satoshi Nakamoto, published a paper titled Bitcoin: A Peer-to-Peer Electronic Cash System. On 3 January 2009, bitcoin came into existence. At the same time, blockchain, the technology underpinning the crypto currency, made its public debut. It has been an impressive decade of development for blockchain; moving from concept to reality and from single-use platform to a potential springboard for market disruption – especially in the services sector. Despite a decade of history, a very long time in the digital firmament, many, indeed most, do not really understand what blockchain is or how it may affect their business. In this article, we aim to explain in simple, accessible terms what blockchain is, how it works, where it is already making its presence felt in service industries and how it may develop in the future

Blockchain technology: the missing link in services management? Part II

With some recent scandals in the charity sector, blockchain offers some options too. For those making charitable donations, blockchain provides the ability to precisely track where your donations are going, when they arrived, and whose hands they ended up in. From there, blockchain can deliver the accountability and transparency to address the perennial complaints around charitable donations; including the organisational inefficiency, or even financial misconduct, that can prevent money from reaching those it was meant for. Bitcoin-based charities like the BitGive Foundation use blockchain’s secure and transparent distributed ledger to give donors greater visibility into fund receipt and use. The company has launched a beta version of GiveTrack, a blockchain-based multidimensional donation platform that provides the ability to transfer, track, and provide a permanent record of charitable financial transactions across the globe