Trends in income mobility

Income distribution

Blue-collar outlook not so blue in Texas

Employment (Economic theory) ; Texas

Mixed Methods Study of Demand Determinants of Airline Coach and Saddle Seats

The SkyRider seat was presented in September 2010 at the Aircraft Interiors Expo in California as a potential strategy to decrease space between seat rows and increase the revenue generating capacity of an airline. Many airlines already raise revenue with differential pricing to customers on seat widths, legroom, seat location, and seat choice. This mixed-seating methods exploratory study seeks to identify what factors passengers consider when faced with selecting a traditional seat or a saddle seat for a short-haul flight. A saddle seat is significantly different from current airline seats, designed with minimal amenities, including a hook to hang a jacket or bag and a shelf for another car carry-on. Additionally, how much an airfare would need to be reduced compared to regular airline seats to entice purchase of the saddle seat instead of a contemporary padded, reclining seat with upwards of 30 inches of legroom typical of an airline\u27s economy class? The sequential phase of the study did not yield any emergent research questions from phase one. Subsequently, the conjoint analysis determined what attributes of the SkyRider seat that were most influential to their choice in airline seats. Although the saddle seat has not been certified by the European and American aviation authorities that have stringent requirements on structural seat performance and emergency egress, numerous airlines have expressed interest in the seat expecting future certification as they pursue more flying revenue per plane (Jones, 2010). An airplane\u27s seat configuration could be adjusted to increase the number of paying passengers per flight as much as 40%. If an airline could increase its revenue by using SkyRider seats, the economic benefit could promote adoption by at least the low cost airlines or any airlines with short haul flights. Additional costs will include additional weight, fuel, baggage handling, aircraft modifications, and operational policies

Economic Modeling to Improve Estimates of the Benefits of Safety Management Systems

Safety Management Systems (SMS) in aviation have the potential to minimize costs, protect profits, and increase shareholder value. However, a gap exists in SMS research between the acknowledged safety benefits of SMS and the identified economic benefits. In the current competitive marketplace, SMS will need to demonstrate economic viability through modeling before industry leaders are likely to adopt a voluntary process. This paper reviews the literature related to a variety of possible economic models applicable to measuring the benefits of the application and implementation of SMS in aviation organizations. While the ultimate goal is to increase safety, the utilization of a model chosen based on the needs of the organization, could encourage voluntary adoption of SMS before regulations make it mandatory. The model will better inform the adopters of SMS of benefits and the processes themselves so that SMS does not degrade into a focus on following process steps rather than improving safety. Using good models that estimate the benefits of SMS would facilitate decision making as well as support the implementation of SMS

That Used to Be Us: Through the Eyes of the Aviation Industry

The U.S. economic success was rooted in an industrial policy which had five pillars of a prosperity formula that served as a catalyst for development and growth: 1) public/private cooperation on education, 2) immigration policy, 3) infrastructure, 4) risk/capital management, and 5) government-funded scientific research. In this paper, the development and growth of the aviation industry is viewed in the framework of such a prosperity formula in order to face the four areas that the entire economy will need to face in the current market in order to be competitive in the global market in the 21st century. Since the aerospace and aviation industry is an integral part of the US economy, it stands that those elements will also challenge the aviation industry’s future. Considering the economic history of the industry and the prosperity formula, the industry has opportunities for not only normal growth but potentially can be used as a catalyst for industry health, significance and renewal in the future as well as the indirect aviation-related industries. It is clear that further research and thought are needed to provide pathways to meet the four economic challenges in the aviation sector identified in this paper. It is hoped that this paper will serve as a foundation for that research

Institutional Effectiveness: Department of Arts and Sciences Outcomes Assessment Model for Academic Years 2008-2010

This study reports and analyzes the results of a test pilot of outcomes assessment for a general education program. The program assessment strategy of Embry Riddle Aeronautical University uses the Program Outcomes Curricula Matrix developed by the Department of Arts and Sciences. The University\u27s Institutional Research unit will use all assessment plans and results for strategic planning purposes. This project is also intended to be an integral part of the Department of Arts and Sciences Southern Association of Colleges and Schools reaffirmation of 2012. Although the number of courses chosen for the initiaJ test is small, half of the program outcomes identified by the Faculty were assessed. The test pilot seeks to evaluate the effectiveness and ease of using Blackboard as a tool for program assessment

To Regulate or Not: That is the Question

In some ways the discussion over whether an industry should be re-regulated is an academic discussion. With over 30 years of operating as a deregulated aviation industry, it would be a herculean task to change directions and re-regulate an industry without a significant industrial event or obvious disadvantageous economic trend which with to react. Not to mention, the political will and functions would have to be present, as well as the supporting government resources available in the budget, which just is not the case at this time. In short, the airplane hangar is open and the planes have taken off; re-regulation is not only a figment of someone’s imagination or dream, but also an unwise economic direction for the industry. For this paper’s purpose, regulation is defined as the directing of consumer pricing, route systems, entry into a market by a producer, mergers between producers, and subsidies for service. Aviation safety, licensing, equipment policies and air space regulation are not deregulated and not in the scope of this discussion. In fact, most of the discussion of re-regulating the aviation industry focuses on airfares and route competition

Economic Interrelationships and Impacts of the Aviation/Aerospace Industry in the State of Florida using Input-Output Analysis

The study provided a detailed description of the interrelatedness of the aviation and aerospace industry with principal industries in Florida and Volusia County (VC) using Input-Output (IO) analysis. Additionally, this research provided an economic impact analysis of the creation of a university research park in Daytona Beach (DB). The economic impact measures included not only direct economic output and industry employment descriptions but also described the multiplier effects in the form of indirect and induced impacts using data for 2012. This research concluded the average labor income of the aviation and aerospace industry was higher than average labor income in Florida and VC. A substantive difference between the Florida and VC average labor income for the aviation and aerospace industry existed because VC’s aerospace sector was only concentrated in the search, detection, and navigation instruments manufacturing sector. VC’s transport by air sector was one-fifth the size of Florida’s. Differences in the aviation and aerospace industry composition between Florida and VC are important because the economic impacts from a shock to the entire aviation and aerospace industry will be distributed differently. Since the aviation and aerospace average labor income is higher than the average labor income in Florida and VC, it would be a positive move for Florida’s economy to attract and grow the aviation and aerospace industry. It would be highly unlikely that the entirety of newly created jobs would be resourced from the local population. Nonetheless, growing the aviation and aerospace industry jobs would have a positive influence on the region’s economy and tax revenues. It would be a desirable course of action to spur the growth of this sector, as its direct effect would culminate with additional jobs in Florida that would bring higher wage jobs to the state. The interdependencies of the aviation and aerospace industry in Florida and VC with other industries had a positive indirect and induced effect in the economy providing almost a two-fold indirect and induced effect. However, the benefits were not equal. Florida’s average labor income of the most sensitive non-aviation and aerospace industry was 15% lower than the average Florida labor income. The average labor income in VC of the most sensitive non-aviation and aerospace industry was significantly higher than the average VC labor income. Industry interdependencies also presented risk. If the aviation and aerospace industry experiences a contraction, then through the interdependencies of the industries, the region would contract twice as much as the aviation and aerospace industry. The overall impact of a university research park would benefit Florida’s economy. Since the research park project is currently funded partially by public state money, 14 sectors of the economy experienced negative impacts. While the net result was an increase in additional labor income, the employment growth was characterized by gaining more lower-paying jobs while losing less higher-paying jobs. The most expected outcome, an expansion of the aviation and aerospace industry, was not evidenced by the model results

Implementing a QEP in a Distributed University When Memories Are Short and Changes Are Necessary

Discusses the creation and implementation process of Embry-Riddle\u27s Quality Enhancement Plan named, Ignite, which focuses on bringing student participation into research and scholarly activities