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We model a principal-firm offering training to its agent-worker under two alternative organizational structures: integration, where the principal retains authority to overrule the investment project recommended by the worker; and delegation, where the principal cannot overrule the worker's preferred investment project. We assume that training reduces the worker's effort cost of assembling information about alternative projects' payoffs and identify the conditions under which delegation increases the profit-maximizing intensity of training. Empirical estimates from matched employer-employee data show that workplaces delegating authority do provide more worker training. This result persists in two cross sections, in panel fixed-effect estimates and, critically, in an instrumental variable exercise that also controls for establishment fixed effects. (JEL D21.D22, D23, M53, M54), I. INTRODUCTION Delegation of decision-making allows employers to capture the superior knowledge and information of workers. The objective functions of workers, however, may differ sharply from those of their employers. [...]

The need for improving the cost effectiveness of forest harvest residue utilization for bioenergy production has been widely recognized. A number of studies show that reducing residue moisture content presents advantages for transportation and energy content. However, previous research has not focused on the relative advantages of in-forest drying depending on the residue characteristics from different logging systems, comminution, and equipment mobilization. Residue drying curves were developed using finite element analysis for two primary Pacific Northwest logging systems. These curves were applied to a case study in Oregon in which mixed integer mathematical programming was used to optimize residue delivery to a hypothetical co-generation plant with a generating capacity of 6 megawatt-hours (MWh). Assuming that rear-steered trailers can access cable logging units, approximately 98% of the harvest residue generated by cable logging was delivered to the plant, compared with only 56% of residue generated with a ground-based system, mainly because collection costs incurred with ground-based system residues exceed cost benefits of drier material. By considering the energy content of drier residues, the amount of oven-dried metric tonnes (ODMT) needed to supply the plant can be reduced by 16% without affecting the energy output over a 24-month planning horizon. Lower ODMT demand and shifting to drier material decreases the overall production cost by 20.4%. Key words: harvest residues, moisture content, logging system, co-generation, drying. La necessite d'ameliorer la rentabilite de l'utilisation des residus forestiers pour la production de bioenergie est maintenant largement reconnue. Plusieurs etudes demontrent que la reduction de la teneur en humidite des residus est avantageuse pour le transport et le contenu energetique. Cependant, a ce jour les recherches n'ont pas mis l'accent sur les avantages relatifs du sechage des residus directement en foret, et ce en fonction des caracteristiques des residus selon le systeme de recolte, la comminution des dechets et l'equipement utilise. Des courbes de sechage des residus ont ete developpees en utilisant l'analyse des elements finis pour deux systemes de recolte primaire dans la region du Pacific Northwest. Ces courbes ont ete utilisees dans une etude de cas en Oregon ou une programmation mathematique mixte par nombres entiers a permis d'optimiser la livraison des residus a une usine de cogeneration hypothetique d'une capacite de 6 MWh. En assumant qu'une remorque a direction arriere puisse acceder aux sites de debardage par cable, pres de 98 % des residus generes lors de la coupe par systeme de cablage ont ete livres a l'usine comparativement a seulement 56 % des residus generes avec un systeme au sol. Ceci est principalement du au fait que le cout de la collecte des residus encouru dans le cas du systeme de recolte au sol est plus eleve que celui du materiel plus sec. Etant donne le contenu energetique des residus plus secs, le nombre de tonnes metriques de matieres seches (TMMS) necessaire pour approvisionner l'usine peut etre reduit de 16 % sans affecter la production d'energie sur une periode de 24 mois. La diminution de la demande de TMMS et l'utilisation de materiel plus sec diminuent le cout de production total de 20,4 %. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: recolte des residus, teneur en humidite, systeme de recolte, cogeneration, sechage., 1. Introduction After passage of the Energy Independence and Security Act of 2007, several initiatives were developed to improve the efficiency and economics of using forest harvest residues to produce [...]

The moisture content in forest harvest residues is a key factor affecting the supply cost for bioenergy production. Fresh harvest residues tend to contain higher amounts of water, thus making transportation inefficient. Additionally, fresh harvest residues contain greater amounts of needles and bark that may reduce the polysaccharide content, thus affecting the production of liquid fuels derived from cellulosic components. In this study, we estimated the downstream economic effect in the supply chain of collecting, grinding, transporting and pretreating fresh versus aged residues. Specifically, we analyzed the effect of feedstock moisture content on grinder fuel consumption, bulk density, bark and needle content, and polysaccharide proportion. Fresh forest harvest residues were 60% moisture content (wet basis) and aged forest residues were 15% moisture content. The bark and needle proportion is 6.1% higher in fresh residue than in aged residue. Polysaccharides were 26% higher in aged residue than in fresh residue. On a dry-tonne basis, the cost of grinding fresh residues was about the same as that of aged residues. However, considering the difference in bulk density on transportation cost and the difference in polysaccharide yield, the value gain for in-field drying ranges from US$29.60 to US$74.90 per ovendry tonne. Key words: biofuels, bulk density, transportation, economics, moisture content. La teneur en humidite des residus de la recolte forestiere est un facteur cle qui influence le cout d'approvisionnement pour la production de bioenergie. Les residus de coupe frais ont tendance a contenir des quantites plus elevees d'eau ce qui rend leur transport inefficace. De plus, les residus de coupe frais contiennent de plus grandes quantites d'aiguilles et d'ecorce qui peuvent reduire le contenu en polysaccharides et avoir par consequent un impact negatif sur la production de combustibles liquides derives des composantes cellulosiques. Dans cette etude, nous avons evalue l'effet economique en aval dans la chaine d'approvisionnement lie a la collecte, au dechiquetage, au transport et au pretraitement de residus frais comparativement a des residus vieillis. De facon plus precise, nous avons analyse l'effet de la teneur en humidite sur la consommation de carburant de la dechiqueteuse, la densite apparente, le contenu en aiguilles et ecorce et la proportion de polysaccharides. Les residus de coupe frais contenaient 60 % d'humidite (sur la base de la masse humide) alors que les residus vieillis contenaient 15 % d'humidite. La proportion d'aiguilles et d'ecorce etait 6,1 % plus elevee dans les residus frais comparativement aux residus vieillis. Il y avait 26 % plus de polysaccharides dans les residus vieillis comparativement aux residus frais. Sur la base d'une tonne anhydre, le cout relie au dechiquetage des residus frais etait a peu pres le meme que pour les residus vieillis. Cependant, en tenant compte de la difference de densite apparente sur le cout de transport et de la difference de rendement en polysaccharides, la valeur du gain variait de $US29,60 a $US74,90 par tonne anhydre. [Traduit par la Redaction] Mots-cles: biocarburants, densite apparente, transport, economie, teneur en humidite., Introduction High moisture content in forest harvest residues can increase the costs of processing and transportation and may be associated with a reduction in the content of polysaccharides for liquid [...]

A study is conducted to examine various factors that determine the job satisfaction in self-employment in Britain.

We investigate the relationship between performance-related pay (PRP) and the shape of workers' experience-earnings profiles. In particular, we argue that the slope of the profile depends critically upon the degree of 'equity' held by workers in their enterprise as measured by the extent of PRP. The implication is that the slope of the profile for PRP workers falls between those of their zero-equity fixed-wage, and one hundred per cent equity self-employed, counterparts. Our empirical analysis of three British data sets, namely the British Social Attitudes Survey, the British Household Panel Survey and the British Family Expenditure Survey, supports this prior. JEL Classification: J23, J24, J33, 1. Introduction and Background In this paper we explore the shape of the experience-earnings profile for individuals employed under different types of contracts: fixed-wage, performance-related pay (PRP), and self-employment contracts. [...]

Experience earning profiles are provided which are gender specific. The differences between an employee and a self-employed individual are also included in these profiles.

A quantified sample of UK workers on the differential risk of unemployment suggests that male unemployment risk is related to education, housing tenure and income. Differential effects of regional and demographic influences on individual experience indicated unemployment effects. Regional influences call for a macroeconomic approach, while a microeconomic approach is appropriate for demographic influences, particularly for policy development concerning unemployment., INTRODUCTION Unemployment has become the labour market variable on whose record hinges the entire economic reputation of governments.(1) Why this should be the case is usually attributed to the macroeconomic [...]

This paper reviews the alternative labour market scenarios open to European policymakers in the current movement towards enhanced economic and political integration. To clarify the various issues, the paper dichotomises the policy alternatives into two camps: 'euro-liberalists' and 'euro-regulators.' The paper concludes that the latter offers the best path towards convergence, with the proviso that the subject of regulation is a Pan-European system of labour market objectives rather than institutions., I. INTRODUCTION The recent collapse of the European Exchange Rate mechanism has led to great uncertainty regarding the future shape of European union. If and when the process of integration [...]

The potential impact of Islamic doctrine on western-bred economic relationships is considered through a study on the prohibition of interest in Islamic economics. Alternative ways of renumeration, such as through mudarabah profit-and-loss sharing, are seen to enhance capital investment through its ability to act as an efficient revelation device. By applying the method of mudarabah in the Western contract literature, the contract between a project manager and an investor syndicate may greatly be improved in terms of informational asymmetries.

Hospitals have become an economic battle ground, with demands for increasingly expensive care fighting against limited resources and an intricate health insurance system. In 1983, Medicare attempted to reduce inefficiencies in medical care by introducing the diagnosis related groupings, or DRGs. DRGs assign a preset amount of reimbursement from Medicare to the hospital based on the patient's diagnosis. The system does not take into account variations in other conditions which affect the patient's needs and change the overall costs incurred during the hospital stay. To determine to what degree the preset, prospective payments are appropriate for hospitals, the actual cost of treating patients was compared with the DRG reimbursement in cases of inflammatory bowel disease (ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease). Inflammatory bowel disease is covered by DRG 179, for which Medicare allots a payment of $4,145 per patient. During the four years following the introduction of the DRGs, the average hospital stay for inflammatory bowel disease dropped from 11.9 to 7.4 days. Overall, the hospital lost $127.24 per case. This loss was found to be primarily due to patients requiring surgery. While the reimbursement for inflammatory bowel disease was adequate for pediatric patients and patients responding to medical treatment, the reimbursement was not sufficient to cover costs in cases requiring surgery. (Consumer Summary produced by Reliance Medical Information, Inc.)

We investigate the relationship between international competition and the labor market prospects of a representative sample of British workers. Our analysis, which sets out the first explicit test of both the wage and employment implications of increased international competition, highlights an interesting asymmetry with competition negatively affecting the wage, but not the employment, prospects of unionized workers and the employment, but not the wage, prospects of nonunion workers., I. Introduction Recent years have witnessed a flurry of, predominately U.S., interest into the effects of international competition on domestic wages and employment.(1) Somewhat less conspicuous has been research into [...]