DETERMINANTS OF OUTSOURCING PRODUCTION: A Dynamic Panel Data Approach for Manufacturing Industries

The present paper investigates the determinants of outsourcing production using a panel of 93 Spanish manufacturing industries for the period 1993-2002. Outsourcing is measured as production tasks which are contracting out to independent suppliers, a more direct and suitable indicator. After controlling for unobserved heterogeneity and simultaneity, our results show a high persistence of the outsourcing intensity. Moreover, outsourcing of production is positively related to unit labour costs, skills requirements and national ownership.Outsourcing, Manufacturing Industries, Subcontracting, Unit Labour Costs

New results on metric-locating-dominating sets of graphs

A dominating set $S$ of a graph is a metric-locating-dominating set if each vertex of the graph is uniquely distinguished by its distances from the elements of $S$, and the minimum cardinality of such a set is called the metric-location-domination number. In this paper, we undertake a study that, in general graphs and specific families, relates metric-locating-dominating sets to other special sets: resolving sets, dominating sets, locating-dominating sets and doubly resolving sets. We first characterize classes of trees according to certain relationships between their metric-location-domination number and their metric dimension and domination number. Then, we show different methods to transform metric-locating-dominating sets into locating-dominating sets and doubly resolving sets. Our methods produce new bounds on the minimum cardinalities of all those sets, some of them involving parameters that have not been related so far.Comment: 13 pages, 3 figure

Foreign direct investment and regional growth: An analysis of the Spanish case

The massive increase in foreign direct investment (FDI) inflows following the Spanish integration with the now European Union (EU) in 1986, has been one of the most important features shaping the behaviour of the Spanish economy in the last twenty years. In this paper we will try to assess the impact of FDI on regional economic growth following Spain’s entry into the EU, using data for the 17 Spanish regions. The results support the important role played by FDI in promoting productivity growth, for those regions that received higher FDI inflows over the period analyzed.Economic growth, Foreign direct investment, Regions

Perception of Fa by non-native listeners in a study abroad context

The present study aims at exploring the under-investigated interface between SA and L2 phonological development by assessing the impact of a 3-month SA programme on the pronunciation of a group of 23 Catalan/Spanish learners of English (NNSs) by means of phonetic measures and perceived FA measures. 6 native speakers (NS) in an exchange programme in Spain provided baseline data for comparison purposes. The participants were recorded performing a reading aloud task before (pre-test) and immediately after (post-test) the SA. Another group of 37 proficient non-native listeners, also bilingual in Catalan/Spanish and trained in English phonetics, assessed the NNS' speech samples for degree of FA. Phonetic measures consisted of pronunciation accuracy scores computed by counting pronunciation errors (phonemic deletions, insertions and substitutions, and stress misplacement). Measures of perceived FA were obtained with two experiments. In experiment 1, the listeners heard a random presentation of the sentences produced by the NSs and by the NNSs at pre-test and post-test and rated them on a 7-point Likert scale for degree of FA (1 = “native” , 7 = “heavy foreign accent”). In experiment 2, they heard paired pre-test/post-test sentences (i.e. produced by the same NNS at pre-test and posttest) and indicated which of the two sounded more native-like. Then, they stated their judgment confidence level on a 7-point scale (1 = “unsure”, 7 = “sure”). Results indicated a slight, non-significant improvement in perceived FA after SA. However, a significant decrease was found in pronunciation accuracy scores after SA. Measures of pronunciation accuracy and FA ratings were also found to be strongly correlated. These findings are discussed in light of the often reported mixed results as regards pronunciation improvement during short-term immersion

New results on metric-locating-dominating sets of graphs

A dominating set S of a graph is a metric-locating-dominating set if each vertex of the graph is uniquely distinguished by its distanc es from the elements of S , and the minimum cardinality of such a set is called the metri c-location- domination number. In this paper, we undertake a study that, in general graphs and specific families, relates metric-locating-dominatin g sets to other special sets: resolving sets, dominating sets, locating-dominating set s and doubly resolving sets. We first characterize classes of trees according to cer tain relationships between their metric-location-domination number and thei r metric dimension and domination number. Then, we show different methods to tran sform metric- locating-dominating sets into locating-dominating sets a nd doubly resolving sets. Our methods produce new bounds on the minimum cardinalities of all those sets, some of them involving parameters that have not been related so farPostprint (published version