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The R environment for statistical computing and graphics (R Development Core Team, 2008) offers practitioners a rich set of statistical methods ranging from random number generation and optimization methods through regression, panel data, and time series methods, by way of illustration. The standard R distribution (base R) comes preloaded with a rich variety of functionality useful for applied econometricians. This functionality is enhanced by user-supplied packages made available via R servers that are mirrored around the world. Of interest in this chapter are methods for estimating nonparametric and semiparametric models. We summarize many of the facilities in R and consider some tools that might be of interest to those wishing to work with nonparametric methods who want to avoid resorting to programming in C or Fortran but need the speed of compiled code as opposed to interpreted code such as Gauss or Matlab by way of example. We encourage those working in the field to strongly consider implementing their methods in the R environment thereby making their work accessible to the widest possible audience via an open collaborative forum.

A systemic risk measure is proposed accounting for links and mutual dependencies between financial institutions utilizing tail event information. Financial Risk Meter (FRM) is based on least absolute shrinkage and selection operator quantile regression designed to capture tail event co-movements. The FRM focus lies on understanding active set data characteristics and the presentation of interdependencies in a network topology. Two FRM indices are presented, namely, FRM@Americas and FRM@Europe. The FRM indices detect systemic risk at selected areas and identify risk factors. In practice, FRM is applied to the return time series of selected financial institutions and macroeconomic risk factors. The authors identify companies exhibiting extreme “co-stress” as well as “activators” of stress. With the SRM@EuroArea, the authors extend to the government bond asset class, and to credit default swaps with FRM@iTraxx. FRM is a good predictor for recession probabilities, constituting the FRM-implied recession probabilities. Thereby, FRM indicates tail event behavior in a network of financial risk factors.

In this chapter we explore different ways to obtain decompositions of rank-dependent indices of socioeconomic inequality of health, such as the Concentration Index. Our focus is on the regression-based type of decomposition. Depending on whether the regression explains the health variable, or the socioeconomic variable, or both, a different decomposition formula is generated. We illustrate the differences using data from the Ethiopia 2011 Demographic and Health Survey (DHS).

Companies inevitably interact and entrench in complex organic systems of business relationships with other. These business networks are not objectively defined, instead they are shaped by the subjective perception of actors. This inherent subjectivity is associated with the notion of network pictures, that is, a research tool that researchers or managers can use to grasp practitioner theories. In this chapter, we discuss how the importance of identifying these theories results mainly from underlying principles of sense-making theory, as well as from the idea around performativity. Drawing on these theoretical groundings, this chapter has two objectives: to explore how practitioners actually perceive their business surroundings and to assess the extent of overlapping between (IMP Group) academic theories and practitioner theories. To achieve these objectives, the researchers use a dimensional network pictures model previously developed in the literature to analyze the network pictures of 49 top-level managers across 17 companies from two very distinct contexts or networks: a product-based network and a project-based network. Among other practices, findings illustrate how practitioners tend to simplify what is going on in their complex surroundings, to personalize their relationships with those surroundings, and to think in a stereotyped way. Moreover, the juxtaposition between the captured practitioner theories and academic (IMP Group) theories show that these are not always overlapping, and are in some cases quite the opposite. This research contributes to the ongoing discussion of the importance of grasping actors’ views of the world, arguing that sense-making theory and the notion of performativity are the two main conceptual drivers justifying the urgency in making those views more visible. This research also adds to the research on the impact and suitability of IMP Group theories on managerial thinking and practice. Finally, this research reinforces the current call for further practice-based research in business network contexts.

The focus of this paper is on altruism and coordination among agents with different income levels. A special form of altruism (fairness based or ethical altruism) is investigated by means of experiments. The definition of altruism used here follows from A. Sen’s concept of obligation, i.e. behaviour that produces advantage for someone whose welfare is not important at all for the agent’s well-being. In this sense, the paper investigates altruism without reciprocity. A second hypothesis investigated is that the extent of ethical altruism is influenced by gender and by income differences within the population.

In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which caused a downward trend in the US stock market, the Federal Reserve has implemented an innovative Corporate Credit Facility (CCF) program from March 23 to December 31, 2020. The CCF aims to purchase the eligible corporate bonds and ETFs under the Primary Market Corporate Credit Facility (PMCCF) and Secondary Market Corporate Credit Facility (SMCCF). Firstly, our result shows that the Corporate Credit Facility program has stabilized the return of the S&P 500 by 0.68 in variance reduction. Secondly, the SMCCF has exhibited a better effect on the stock market compared with PMCCF. The coefficient of SMCCF is statistically significant. However, announcement and PMCCF are not significant in the variance equation. Thirdly, the joint Wald test of PMCCF and SMCCF positively and significantly affect the return of the S&P 500, evidenced by the mean equation. Lastly, the announcement of CCF has an adverse effect on the S&P 500. It can be concluded that the Fed's Corporate Credit Facility has been innovative in combating the financial market's instability.

CSF Buxmont Academy operates eight school/day treatment programs that use restorative practices, which includes a culture in which restorative characterizes staff interaction with students, and staff-to-staff and student-to-student relationships as well. This chapter presents analyses of the outcome experiences from two waves of discharge cohorts: 919 students during school years 1999–2000 and 2000–2001 and 858 during 2001–2002 and 2002–2003. Outcome measures include program completion rates, changes in self-esteem and anti-social attitudes, and the relationship between the length of program participation and post-release recidivism rates after controlling for individual risk factors. Recidivism rates were significantly related to length of program participation.

The growing uses of digital technologies have been creating several new business opportunities. Recently, a new concept has emerged in the literature, the “digital entrepreneurship ecosystem” (DEE). However, it has been empirically understudied. Thus, this study aims to analyze the influence of DEE on entrepreneurial activity. The meta-organization theory was used as a perspective of analysis. A quantitative methodology was applied in a sample that includes data from 28 European countries through the generalized method of moments. It was concluded that the DEE pillars, informal and formal institutions, market conditions, physical infrastructure, human capital and talent and networking and support positively influence entrepreneurial activity. It was also found that the variables knowledge, creation and dissemination and finance have a negative impact on entrepreneurial activity. Several theoretical and empirical contributions are also left for the various stakeholders. The present study is original, as no known studies analyze the influence of DEE on entrepreneurial activity in European countries from the perspective of meta-organization theory.