A Computational Framework for the Mixing Times in the QBD Processes with Infinitely-Many Levels

In this paper, we develop some matrix Poisson's equations satisfied by the mean and variance of the mixing time in an irreducible positive-recurrent discrete-time Markov chain with infinitely-many levels, and provide a computational framework for the solution to the matrix Poisson's equations by means of the UL-type of $RG$-factorization as well as the generalized inverses. In an important special case: the level-dependent QBD processes, we provide a detailed computation for the mean and variance of the mixing time. Based on this, we give new highlight on computation of the mixing time in the block-structured Markov chains with infinitely-many levels through the matrix-analytic method

An Estimation of Elasticities of Consumption Demand and Investment Demand for Owner-Occupied Housing in Taiwan : A Two-Period Model

Buying a house usually satisfies housing consumption demand and housing investment demand, simultaneously. In order to disentangle the above two types of demand, households, in this study, are separated into three subtenure groups i.e. renters, owners owning one house, and owners buying a second or more houses. Presumably, renting a house is for consumption only, while buying a second house is usually for investment purposes. Applying a two-period model and two data sets from DGBAS and from Land Bank of Taiwan, the estimated results are as follows: Firstly, the income elasticity of pure consumption demand for housing is very close to unity (1.0413). Secondly, the income elasticity for a pure investment demand is greater than one (1.2643). Finally, for a household owning only one house, the shares for consumption motive and for investment motive are 26% and 74%, respectively.Consumption demand, investment demand, elasticity and housing, Taiwan

Heterogeneous effect of ethnic networks on international trade of Thailand: The role of family ties and ethnic diversity

Ethnic networks have been found to have a pro-trade effect in previous research. However, the heterogeneous effect of different ethnicities is under-studied. Drawing on the literature on social structure, this paper attempts to untangle the heterogeneous effect of ethnic networks on international trade using trade data of Thailand. We found that ethnic networks have a positive impact overall on trade, confirming the results of previous studies. However, the magnitude of the positive effect varies across different ethnicities along two dimensions. First, the strength of family ties in the culture of origin accelerates the pro-trade effect of its ethnic networks, suggesting ethnicities with stronger family ties have a cultural preference for trading within their own ethnic community. In comparison, ethnic diversity weakens the positive effect of ethnic networks on trade, suggesting an informational value of diverse ethnic structure in promoting trade between different ethnicities. Our study contributes new evidence of the enduring influence of social and cultural attributes on economic activities

What are the Latest Trends in Career Pathing Models as Well as the Most Effective Ways to Accelerate High Potential Development?

The war for talent is raging, making attracting, retaining, and developing high-performers more challenging than ever. Many of the “Baby Boomer” executives will be retiring in the near future, and only 15% of organizations in North America and Asia believe they have sufficient qualified successors for key positions. Additionally, 25% of surveyed organizations said they fail to keep top-performers, further illustrating the urgency and importance of the need to design optimal programs for developing future leaders. Thus, the content below will provide insight into the factors that make development program for “high potentials” successful