Bank pricing under oligopsony-oligopoly: Evidence from 103 developing countries

We propose a generic oligopsony-oligopoly model to study bank behavior under uncertainty in developing countries. We derive a pricing structure that acknowledges market power in both the deposit and loan markets and identify two theoretical components to the loan rate: a rent extraction component resulting from the interaction between the choke price of loans and prevailing banking structures, and a markup on deposit funding costs that captures the transformation efficiency of financial intermediation. We then test our structural specification with longitudinal data for 103 non-OECD countries and find that both the market structure under uncertainty and the deposit rate matter significantly in pricing. However, the role played by the rent-extraction share in pricing, on average, dominates funding costs in developing countries, and so underscores the importance of market structure in banks’ pricing power.intermediation; bank pricing; market structure; uncertainty; developing countries

The Form and Substance of Ethics: Prenatal Diagnosis in the Baird Report

This article analyses the employment of textual tactics in the Final Report of the Royal Commission on New Reproductive Technologies. The author argues that the Commission uses these tactics to persuade several different audiences that its stance is correct, and simultaneously to manage dissent over new reproductive technologies. Analysis of textual tactics opens the ethical position of the Commission to substantive questioning. The authorfocuses on the Commission\u27s discussion of prenatal diagnosis for genetic anomalies and concludes that the Commission fails to engage with ethical arguments put forward by persons with disabilities and their advocates. The conclusion also encourages the development of an ethics of disability

U.S. SDG Data Revolution Roadmap

One year after adopting the SDGs, in an addendum to its Open Government National Action Plan, the U.S. Government committed to develop an SDG Data Revolution Roadmap that "charts the future course of efforts to fill data gaps and build capacity to use data for decision-making and innovation to advance sustainable development." The U.S. Government's SDG Data Revolution Roadmap will outline the government's commitments-to-action from 2017-2018. With a deadline of June 2017, it will be developed by the U.S. Government "through an open and inclusive process that engages the full range of citizen, non-governmental, and private sector stakeholders."This report represents the beginning of that engagement process. On December 14, 2016, the Center for Open Data Enterprise and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data convened a Roundtable to develop recommended priorities for the U.S. Government's SDG Data Revolution Roadmap The Roundtable brought together more than 40 stakeholders from government, civil society, and the private sector with expertise in achieving and promoting sustainable development

Bank competition and financial stability

Under the traditional"competition-fragility"view, more bank competition erodes market power, decreases profit margins, and results in reduced franchise value that encourages bank risk taking. Under the alternative"competition-stability"view, more market power in the loan market may result in greater bank risk as the higher interest rates charged to loan customers make it more difficult to repay loans and exacerbate moral hazard and adverse selection problems. But even if market power in the loan market results in riskier loan portfolios, the overall risks of banks need not increase if banks protect their franchise values by increasing their equity capital or engaging in other risk-mitigating techniques. The authors test these theories by regressing measures of loan risk, bank risk, and bank equity capital on several measures of market power, as well as indicators of the business environment, using data for 8,235 banks in 23 developed nations. The results suggest that - consistent with the traditional"competition-fragility"view - banks with a greater degree of market power also have less overall risk exposure. The data also provide some support for one element of the"competition-stability"view - that market power increases loan portfolio risk. The authors show that this risk may be offset in part by higher equity capital ratios.Banks&Banking Reform,Debt Markets,Access to Finance,,Markets and Market Access

Job Allocations as Cultural Sorting in a Culturally Diverse Organizational Context

This study addresses the inadequacy of the career and diversity literatures in explaining the dynamics of job allocations in a culturally diverse organizational context. In order to better understand this topic, we conducted a qualitative study involving personal interviews with 50 Emiratis and international employees who worked in managerial positions in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The purpose of the study was to explore the unique challenges associated with managing a culturally diverse workforce and explore the role of culture in allocating jobs among employees with diverse cultural backgrounds. Despite the perceived value of having a culturally diverse workforce, our findings indicate a lack of effective diversity management strategies for dealing with challenges and issues associated with a high level of cultural diversity in the participating organizations. This study provides insights into the impact of cultural/nationality-based stereotypes on job allocations as well as on organizational outcomes. Based on the findings, we discussed implications for research and practice and as well as for policy makers

The justice system is failing victims and survivors of sexual violence

Tammi Walker, Alison Foster, Rabiya Majeed-Ariss and Miranda Horvath on a role for psychologists in improving processes and protection around rape cases. The justice system in England and Wales continues to fail survivors of sexual violence. Official figures from the Crown Prosecution Service and Police highlight the ongoing problem of attrition of rape cases from the criminal justice system. Here, we outline the limitations of the endless cycle of reviews in response to the poor treatment of survivors. We argue that solutions which could lead to significant improvements for survivors of sexual violence are possible

SOCIAL IMPACT OF RELIANCE ON EXPATRIATES IN DAILY LIFE IN UAE

The Gulfs cities have witnessed a tremendous flow of human capital in recent decades. More than 75% of the population of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) is made up of foreign nationals. In Dubai, for example, expatriates constitute more than 85 % of the total workforce. The diversification of business strategies in the region has led to expatriates working in all industrial and service sectors. The expatriates\u27 presence has therefore had an impact on the working lives of the Emirati workforce. In particular, as a numeric majority, expatriates influence the work habits, management, and leadership style of Emiratis. In the same way, Emirati top leaders and managers influence the way work and organizations are structured and the status of expatriates in the UAE. Nevertheless, present research tells us very little about the topic of expatriate-local interaction and diversity in the workplace. This report bridges an important knowledge gap by shedding light on the impact that expatriates working in the UAE have on the Emirati workforce and organizations

Complex programme evaluation of a ‘New Care Model’ Vanguard: a shared commitment to quality improvement in an integrated health and care context

NHS Vanguards, under-pressure to perform, required better contracting and data management arrangements with evaluation teams, to ensure that integrated service outcomes could be reported effectively. This communication reflects the experience of evaluating an NHS Vanguard and suggests how academic teams can improve capacity for complex programme evaluation of rapid improvements in integrated services. This should be based on a shared commitment to data collection and management. Also, robust knowledge exchange processes can enable systems change and sustainability. The identifying features of the particular site have been withheld

Videoconferencing for Health Care Provision for Older Adults in Care Homes: A Review of the Research Evidence

A scoping review was conducted to map the research evidence on the use of videoconferencing for remote health care provision for older adults in care homes. The review aimed to identify the nature and extent of the existing evidence base. Databases used were Embase, Medline, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library Reviews. The review identified 26 articles for inclusion, of which 14 were case studies, making the most used study design. Papers described videoconferencing as being used for assessment, management of health care, clinical support, and diagnosis, with eight of the papers reporting the use of videoconferencing for more than one clinical purpose. A further eight papers reported the use of videoconferencing for assessment alone. The literature reported the collection of various types of data, with 12 papers describing the use of both qualitative and quantitative data. The outcomes mainly addressed staff satisfaction (n=9) and resident satisfaction (n=8). Current evidence supports the feasibility of videoconferencing in care homes. However, research needs to be undertaken to establish the contexts and mechanisms that underpin the successful implementation of videoconferencing in care homes and to define useful measures for success

Complex programme evaluation of a ‘New Care Model’ Vanguard: a shared commitment to quality improvement in an integrated health and care context

NHS Vanguards, under-pressure to perform, required better contracting and data management arrangements with evaluation teams, to ensure that integrated service outcomes could be reported effectively. This communication reflects the experience of evaluating an NHS Vanguard and suggests how academic teams can improve capacity for complex programme evaluation of rapid improvements in integrated services. This should be based on a shared commitment to data collection and management. Also, robust knowledge exchange processes can enable systems change and sustainability. The identifying features of the particular site have been withheld