Working Paper 63 - Trade, Trade Liberalisation and Economic Growth: Theory and Evidence

There can be little doubt that, historically, trade has acted as an important engine ofgrowth for countries at different stages of development, not only by contributing to a moreefficient allocation of resources within countries, but also by transmitting growth from onepart of the world to another. There are static and dynamic gains to be had from tradebetween countries but there is nothing in the theory of trade that says that the gains areequitably distributed. Also, there is nothing in the theory of Customs Unions that says thatthe gains from trade will be equitably distributed between members. Indeed, the CustomsUnion as a whole may be welfare-reducing if trade diversion exceeds trade creation. Recentresearch suggests that regional trade agreements, reduce growth and investment, butgeneralised trade liberalisation in the form of unilateral tariff reductions (or the reduction ofnon-tariff barriers to trade) improves growth performance. Export growth relax the balanceof payments constraint on demand by providing the foreign exchange to pay for the importcontent of higher levels of consumption, investment and government expenditure. Mostdeveloping countries are constrained in their growth performance by a shortage of foreignexchange and could therefore grow faster with more exports.

The impact of maternal control on children’s anxious cognitions, behaviours and affect: an experimental study

Controlling parenting is associated with child anxiety however the direction of effects remains unclear. The present study implemented a Latin-square experimental design to assess the impact of parental control on children’s anxious affect, cognitions and behaviour. A non-clinical sample of 24 mothers of children aged 4-5 years were trained to engage in (a) controlling and (b) autonomy-granting behaviours in interaction with their child during the preparation of a speech. When mothers engaged in controlling parenting behaviours, children made more negative predictions about their performance prior to delivering their speech and reported feeling less happy about the task, and this was moderated by child trait anxiety. In addition, children with higher trait anxiety displayed a significant increase in observed child anxiety in the controlling condition. The pattern of results was maintained when differences in mothers’ levels of negativity and habitual levels of control were accounted for. These findings are consistent with theories that suggest that controlling parenting is a risk factor in the development of childhood anxiety

Nicholas Kaldor’s life and his insights into the applied economics of growth

This article celebrates the life and work of the Hungarian economist Nicholas Kaldor, and particularly his emphasis on industrial structure and the role of demand in determining the growth performance of nations

Workplace Bullying in New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics: Prominence, processes, and emotions

This is a study of workplace bullying in New Zealand in the higher education sector. A number of western countries, including the USA, Australia, and many European countries, have identified bullying as a serious issue and interest in the phenomenon has grown worldwide. Recently, there has been a surge of research interest in New Zealand. However, a number of important questions remain unanswered. These questions relate to the extent of bullying, the absence of a comprehensive understanding of the process as targets experience it, and the emotional experience of bullying. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to establish the extent of workplace bullying in the New Zealand context and explore the ways in which targets construct their experiences. Specifically, the research investigated three questions: (1) To what extent does workplace bullying exist in New Zealand Institutes of Technology and Polytechnics (ITPs)?, (2) How do targets construct the process of workplace bullying?, and (3) How do targets use metaphor to construct the emotional experience of bullying? Several hypotheses were tested to probe these questions further. The study uses multiple methods, including quantitative and qualitative analyses, to enable a deep and comprehensive exploration of bullying (Cowie, Naylor, Rivers, Smith, & Pereira, 2002). An internationally recognised measure, the Negative Acts Questionnaire, was used to collect quantitative data from 151 workers in half of the ITPs in New Zealand, whilst semi-structured interviews with 31 workers, from nine ITPs, gathered qualitative data. Survey findings suggested that New Zealand ITP workers experienced negative acts at a higher level when compared to European workers. Being in a low-power position did not necessarily equate to a greater likelihood of being a target. Women and men reported similar levels of bullying, whilst part-time and temporary workers reported less than full-time and permanent workers. However, Maori, the indigenous people of New Zealand, reported significantly higher levels of bullying than non-Maori workers. Results from a thematic analysis of interviews indicated that targets of bullying constructed their experiences as a complex process that typically starts and ends with a change in an already troubled workplace. During the episode of bullying, various resistance strategies are possible and these have differing degrees of success. Although complex, the process followed a pathway that was similar for all targets, regardless of the differences in their experiences and backgrounds. Targets punctuated their experiences as extending well beyond the bullying behaviours themselves. Furthermore, they discussed a range of approaches to resistance that were associated with a variety of constraints to agency (Thompson, Nalder, & Lount, 2006; Deutsch & Coleman, 2006). Targets perceived their job satisfaction as negatively affected by bullying-related behaviours, but their job performance to be unaffected. Enjoyment of, or a commitment to, the job itself appeared to mitigate the effects of bullying on performance. Targets were emphatic about the difficulties they encountered in seeking organisational support. Organisations sequestered their responsibility for managing bullying and consequently contributed to its continuation. Severing the immediate work relationship was the only way in which bullying ended, although the parting occurred in several different ways, and this finding has particular implications for management. The themes formed a process model that comprises the broad range of experiences, contexts, and outcomes, presenting a challenge and an extension to existing models. Finally, the research identified naturally occurring metaphors. These were analysed using a systematic process to explore targets’ emotional experiences of bullying. Key findings were that targets described bullying in terms of violence, madness, natural forces, desert islands, water, games and hell. Based on an analysis of these metaphors, sadness, shame, and pain, emerged as the most prominent emotions. These findings provide a contribution to the small body of research into metaphors of bullying and emotions. In addition to providing insight into New Zealand ITP-specific experiences and making a comparison with those of other in countries, the thesis adds to existing research in several ways. The development of a comprehensive model, which uses the perspectives of those who have experienced bullying and highlights the context in which it occurs, extends existing conceptualisations of the bullying process. Identification of the metaphors that are common to the experience of bullying both supports and extends existing research. Finally, construction of targets’ emotions from their metaphors extends previous research into the emotional experience of bullying and addresses certain methodological shortcomings of earlier studies

Evidence from Rb–Sr mineral ages for multiple orogenic events in the Caledonides of Shetland, Scotland

Shetland occupies a unique central location within the North Atlantic Caledonides. Thirty-three new high-precision Rb–Sr mineral ages indicate a polyorogenic history. Ages of 723–702 Ma obtained from the vicinity of the Wester Keolka Shear Zone indicate a Neoproterozoic (Knoydartian) age and preclude its correlation with the Silurian Moine Thrust. Ordovician ages of c. 480–443 Ma obtained from the Yell Sound Group and the East Mainland Succession constrain deformation fabrics and metamorphic assemblages to have formed during Grampian accretionary orogenic events, broadly contemporaneously with orogenesis of the Dalradian Supergroup in Ireland and mainland Scotland. The relative paucity of Silurian ages is attributed to a likely location at a high structural level in the Scandian nappe pile relative to mainland Scotland. Ages of c. 416 and c. 411 Ma for the Uyea Shear Zone suggest a late orogenic evolution that has more in common with East Greenland and Norway than with northern mainland Scotland