Sexual Harassment in the Workplace: The Cut Flower Industry (Ecuador)

This study was carried out in the region north of Quito, Ecuador. The researchers interviewed 101 flower workers from 47 flower companies. The study finds that sexual harassment, while rampant, is rarely reported and offenders are not punished

The J2 Status of Chaos in Period Macroeconomic Models

We reconsider the issue of the (non-)equivalence of period and continuous time analysis in macroeconomic theory and its implications for the existence of chaotic dynamics in empirical macro. We start from the methodological precept that period and continuous time representations of the same macrostructure should give rise to the same qualitative outcome, i.e. in particular, that the results of period analysis should not depend on the length of the period. A simple example where this is fulfilled is given by the Solow growth model, while all chaotic dynamics in period models of dimension less than 3 are in conflict with this precept. We discuss a recent and typical example from the literature, where chaos results from an asymptotically stable continuous-time macroeconomic model when this is reformulated as a discrete-time model with a long period length.Period models, continuous time, (non-)equivalence, chaotic dynamics.

Currency Crises and Monetary Policy in Economies with Partial Dollarisation of Liabilities

The right response to a speculative attack on the domestic currency by monetary authorities in a country with liabilities in US dollars has been a matter of hot debate among academics and policy makers especially after the East Asian Crisis. Using a modified version of the currency crisis model discussed in Proano, Flaschel and Semmler (2005) the authors show that an increase of the domestic interest rate by the central bank as a response to the speculative attack can have serious negative effects on aggregate demand by depressing the investment activity of those domestic firms which are not indebted in foreign currency. The authors demonstrate that in specific situations the standard (IMF supported) increase of the domestic interest rate might not be the best response to a speculative attack on the domestic currency from a medium term point of view.Mundell-Fleming-Tobin model, liability dollarisation, debt-financed investment, financial crisis, currency crisis, deflation.

On the Determinacy of New Keynesian Models with Staggered Wage and Price Setting

This paper shows that an analytical determinacy analysis of the baseline New Keynesian model with both staggered wages and prices developed by Erceg, Henderson and Levin (2000) is possible despite the high dimensional nature of this model. It is possible if the formulation of the model is translated from discrete to continuous time. Our findings corroborates in an analytical manner Galí's (2008) numerical findings regarding the determinacy frontier and the Taylor principle for this model type, where a generalized Taylor rule that employs a weighted combination of wage and price inflation is used as a measure for the inflation gap.Period models, continuous time, (in)determinacy.

Currency Runs, International Reserves Management and Optimal Monetary Policy Rules

This paper studies the design of optimal monetary policy rules for emerging economies confronted to sharp capital outflows and speculative attacks. We extend Taylor type monetary policy rules by allowing the central bank to give some weight to the level of precautionary foreign reserve balances as one of its targets. We show that a currency crisis scenario can easily occur when the weight is zero, and that it can be avoided when the weight is positive. The impacts of the central bank's monetary control on the output level, the inflation rate, the exchange rate, and the foreign reserve level are investigated as well. By applying both the Hamiltonian as well as the Hamilton-Jacobi-Bellman (HJB) equation (the latter leading to a dynamic programming formulation of the problem), we can explore safe domains of attractions in a variety of complicated model variants. Given the uncertainties the central banks faces, we also show of how central banks can enlarge safe domains of attraction.Currency Crises, Capital Outflows, Monetary Policy Rules

Addressing Burnout of Neonatal Nurses and Effective Coping Strategies: An Integrative Literature Review

Abstract Background: Neonatal nurses care for newborns with many different illnesses, from the moment they are born up the the age of two. Neonatal nurses experience burnout due to the stress of caring for theses neonates. Burnout leads to nurses leaving the profession, developing health problems, and committing errors. Objectives: The purpose of this integrative literature review was to examine burnout experienced by the nurses in the neonatal intensive care unit and to identify effective coping strategies that are being used. Method: This integrative literature review was conducted using keywords “neonatal nurse,” “neonatal nursing,” “burnout,” and “coping” to search the literature between 2008 and 2018 in the PubMed and CINAHL Complete databases. These results were then refined to include on peer-reviewed articles written in the English language and of the nursing or medicine disciple. A total of six articles were ultimately used from both databases. Results: Four major categories of strategies to to cope with burnout were identified within the literature: self-maintenance, a positive environment, education and reflective practice. Conclusions: Current research identified four categories of strategies being used by nurses as effective ways to deal with the burnout they are experiencing. Consideringthe seriousness of the environment of the neonatal intensive care unit and its patients, nurses that are burnt out can be detrimental to their patients, themselves, and the organizations they work for. Addressing burnout should be given high priority by nurses and the healthcare organizations they work for. Key Words: neonatal, nurse, burnout, coping, neonatal nursin

Disequilibrium Macroeconomic Dynamics, Income Distribution and Wage-Price Phillips Curves

The authors of this paper formulate a disequilibrium AS-AD model based on sticky wages and prices, perfect foresight of current inflation rates and adaptive expectations concerning the inflation climate in which the economy operates. The model consists of a wage and a price Phillips curves, a dynamic IS curve as well as a dynamic employment adjustment equation and a Taylor-rule-type interest rate law of motion. Through instrumental variables GMM system estimation with aggregate time series data for the U.S. and the euro area economies, the authors obtain structural parameter estimates which support the specification of their theoretical model and show the importance of the inflationary climate, as well as of the Blanchard-Katz error correction terms, and indirectly of income distribution, in the dynamics of wage and price inflation in the U.S. and the euro area economies.AS-AD disequilibrium, wage and price Phillips curves, real wage adjustment

Sustainable Capitalism: Full-Employment Flexicurity Growth with Real Wage Rigidities

In this paper we present a model of flexicurity capitalism that exhibits a second labor market with the government as an employer of first resort, where all workers not employed by firms in the private sector find meaningful employment. We show that the model exhibits a unique interior steady state which is asymptotically stable under real wage adjustment dynamics of the type considered in Blanchard and Katz (1999), and under a type of Okun's Law that links the level of utilization of firms to their hiring and firing decision. The introduction of a company pension fund can be shown to contribute to the viability of the analyzed economic system. However, when credit is incorporated in the model, in place of savings-driven supply side fluctuations in economic activity, investment-driven demand side business cycle fluctuations (of a probably much more volatile type) can take place.Flexicurity, employer of ¯rst resort, Solovian growth, company pension funds, sustainability

Identification of the Causal Agent of Leaf and Crown Rot of Liriope in Louisiana

Leaf and crown rot of Liriope is an increasing problem affecting Liriope in the nursery and landscape for the past eight years primarily in the southeastern United States. Symptoms start with water soaking of leaves at the crown area, followed by yellowing of the entire leaf starting at the base. Affected crowns rot and leaves turn brown leading to death of the plants. Phytophthora palmivora and Fusarium oxysporum were isolated and identified from ‘Big Blue’ Liriope symptomatic plants taken from the nursery and landscape. The pathogens were positively identified by morphological features of the pathogens and then confirmed with polymerase chain reaction. Pathogenicity tests were performed in the greenhouse using three Liriope cultivars including ‘Emerald Goddess’ and ‘Super Blue’, considered to be tolerant to this disease, and ‘Big Blue’ which was considered to be more susceptible. Four inoculation treatments were used: water control, Phytophthora palmivora, Fusarium oxysporum and P. palmivora + F. oxysporum. Results from this study confirm the pathogenicity of previously identified P. palmivora and F. oxysporum microorganisms causing leaf and crown rot. P. palmivora was the primary microorganism causing leaf and crown rot on ‘Emerald Goddess’ and F. oxysporum on ‘Big Blue’ leading to increased disease incidence and a decrease in fresh and dry weight of leaves. ‘Super Blue’ showed no significant differences in fresh and dry weight of leaves and roots, and in percentage of disease incidence between the inoculation treatments (P\u3e0.05). A survey was conducted at 11 wholesale and 7 retail nurseries in Louisiana to confirm that leaf and crown rot was a problem in Liriope production. P. palmivora and F. oxysporum were recovered from plants exhibiting leaf and crown rot symptoms which indicated that the disease was present in all nurseries. Poor sanitation and cultural practices were found to be the primary factors leading to the development and spread of leaf and crown rot disease

Overconsumption, Credit Rationing and Bailout Monetary Policy: A Minskyan Perspective

We consider a Keynes-Goodwin model of effective demand and the distributive cycle where workers purchase goods and houses with marginal propensity significantly larger than one. They therefore need credit, supplied from asset holders, and have to pay interest on their outstanding debt. In this initial situation, the steady state is attracting, while a marginal propensity closer to one makes it repelling. The stable excessive overconsumption case can easily turn from a stable boom to explosiveness and from there through induced processes of credit rationing into a devastating bust. In such a situation the Central Bank may prevent the worst by acting as creditor of last resort, purchasing loans where otherwise debt default (and bankruptcy regarding house ownership) would occur. This bail-out policy can stabilize the economy and also reduces the loss of homes of worker families.mortgage loans, booms, debt default, busts, creditor of last resort.