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Article
Publication date: 1 January 2000

Randall E. Waldron

The “prisoner dilemma” is distinguished for its characterization of the interaction engaged in by parties whose “fates are interdependent,” but whose “self‐interests are not…

Abstract

The “prisoner dilemma” is distinguished for its characterization of the interaction engaged in by parties whose “fates are interdependent,” but whose “self‐interests are not perfectly consonant,” to use the phrasing of Stevel Salop (1986). Economists have devoted an extensive literature to situations that are in essence prisoner's dilemmas, such as competition in oligopolies. However, what is striking about the prisoner's dilemma is not so much its relevance to particular market structures as its pervasiveness in many areas of life. As economists have broadened the scope of their studies to include interactions beyond the marketplace, they have frequently alluded to the existence of the prisoner's dilemma. Nonetheless, scholars have not yet fully explored the connections between the prisoner's dilemma, the standard microeconomic model of utility maximization, and the social institutions that attempt to secure Pareto efficient outcomes. Using marriage as its primary example, this paper examines the conditions and institutions that made relationships work to facilitate cooperation, avoiding the typical outcome of a situation characterized by the prisoner's dilemma.

Details

Humanomics, vol. 16 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0828-8666

Article
Publication date: 1 March 1998

Ataul Huq Pramanik

The basis of human creation lays the foundation for altruism. Babies, be they human or animal are born helpless. Their very survival depends on the love and affection that are…

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Abstract

The basis of human creation lays the foundation for altruism. Babies, be they human or animal are born helpless. Their very survival depends on the love and affection that are already embedded in the hearts of mothers. No amount of selfish attitude of mothers, not at least from short life span, can help in the growth of their off‐springs. One can argue that it is the self‐interested motive of the parents and most particularly the mothers of getting supports in their old days that drives them to be altruistic rather than selfish. Being altruistic means undertaking a lot of sacrifice in terms of personal pleasure and happiness merely for seeing pleasure and happiness in others regardless of any human bondage. An egoistic person, on the other hand, would never care for others. Personal level satisfaction only dominates the mind of an extremely egoistic or self‐centered man.

Details

Humanomics, vol. 14 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0828-8666

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1991

Mohammad I. Ansari

I. Introduction The emphasis on the concept of ‘economic man’ for a long period of time has led to important outcomes each of which has serious welfare implications. First, there…

Abstract

I. Introduction The emphasis on the concept of ‘economic man’ for a long period of time has led to important outcomes each of which has serious welfare implications. First, there has been a relentless glorification of the principle of pursuit of self‐interest. It is only now that all the negative spillover effects of our wealth creating and consuming activities are being acknowledged and evaluated. Since most of these costs are costs to society rather than to a particular individual, these costs do not play any role in our production or consumption decisions. As a result, quality of life has not improved as much as the recent rise in per capita real income suggests. Second, for a long time welfare has been treated as a monotonically increasing function of the amounts of goods and services consumed. There has been a total disregard for the fact that at a given point in time an individual can afford only a fraction of the total amount of goods and services available in the society. This explains at least in part why even in the most affluent societies people are no happier today than they were in the past. And third, although the idea of interdependent welfare is not new in economics as evidenced by relative income hypothesis which shows that present consumption and hence welfare is also a function of one's past consumption and consumption of others in the society, economic analysis by and large has been carried out on the assumption of independence. Feelings like envy, jealousy, and avarice are real and powerful and play an important role in the way people perceive their welfare. Just because they cannot be conveniently incorporated in simple analytical model is a poor excuse for neglecting them.

Details

Humanomics, vol. 7 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0828-8666

Article
Publication date: 10 November 2021

Stefan Jestl, Mathias Moser and Anna Katharina Raggl

Using aggregated data at the municipality level allows the authors to assess the role of relative deprivation (RD) – a measure of income inequality – on top of absolute income in…

Abstract

Purpose

Using aggregated data at the municipality level allows the authors to assess the role of relative deprivation (RD) – a measure of income inequality – on top of absolute income in shaping internal migration in Austria.

Design/methodology/approach

In this study, the authors analyse the effect of regional income inequality on emigration rates of Austrian municipalities using a unique spatial dataset that is constructed based on Austrian administrative register data. The register-based data contain information on the municipality of residence of all individuals aged 16 and over that have their main residency in Austria, as well as their income and socio-demographic characteristics.

Findings

The authors find that increases in relative deprivation in a municipality are related to higher emigration from the municipality. Allowing for heterogeneous effects across income, education and age groups reveals that the effect is stronger among those with comparably low levels of income and among low-skilled and young individuals.

Originality/value

The unique spatially disaggregated perspective is based on novel data from Austrian administrative registers, which comprehensively capture the economic situation and geographic movements of the whole Austrian population. Most importantly, this approach allows for measuring income inequality within local communities and for a direct identification of social groups that are more sensitive to inequality.

Details

International Journal of Social Economics, vol. 49 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0306-8293

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 25 June 2018

Tajul Ariffin Masron and Yogeeswari Subramaniam

Remittances to developing countries, especially less developed countries, have been growing tremendously as compared to the past few decades. Nevertheless, whether they can be a…

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Abstract

Purpose

Remittances to developing countries, especially less developed countries, have been growing tremendously as compared to the past few decades. Nevertheless, whether they can be a critical source of poverty alleviation in developing countries is yet to be conclusively studied. Therefore, this study investigates the implications of remittances on poverty in 44 developing countries from 2006 to 2014.

Design/methodology/approach

A dynamic panel estimator is applied to examine remittances – poverty nexus.

Findings

The results provide strong evidence that the level of poverty tends to be lower in countries with a higher flow of remittances. This may be because of the increase in the household incomes of the poor by virtue of the remittance, and/or the money remitted might be channeled to more productive activities, indicating the powerful role of remittances to maintain a sustainable reduction in poverty.

Originality/value

Although there is no direct policy applicable to remittances, several areas might be good to be assisted and improved by the government.

Details

International Journal of Development Issues, vol. 17 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1446-8956

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 January 2001

Christian J. Nothiger, Michael Bründl and Walter J. Ammann

During the analysis of the 1999 avalanche winter and of the winter storm Lothar on 26 December 1999, the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos…

Abstract

During the analysis of the 1999 avalanche winter and of the winter storm Lothar on 26 December 1999, the Swiss Federal Institute for Snow and Avalanche Research SLF, Davos conducted an inquiry of the cable car‐ and ski lift‐companies in German‐ and French speaking part of Switzerland. This arti‐cle presents the results in detail. In the whole of Switzerland there were 1'821 cable cars and ski lifts in 1999 (not counting 550 small ski lifts). The SLF sent its questionnaire to 117 companies. A considerable proportion of them (79%) have been returned. In February 1999 avalanches and snow pressure induced damages on 44 cable cars and ski lifts; repairs cost more than 17 Mio. SFr. Due to high avalanche danger, 37% of all lift facilities had to be closed for an average of seven days. The loss of earnings for Switzerland (without Ticino) is estimated at 78 Mio. SFr. compared to February 1998. The winter storm Lothar caused damage to 127 cable cars and ski lifts. The cost of damage repairs is estimated at 7.6 Mio. SFr. The storm interrupted power supply for 14% of the lift facilities; 58% had to be closed down due to high wind speeds. The loss of earnings caused by winter storm Lothar amounts to approx. 39 Mio. SFr. for the Swiss cable car and ski lift companies (without Ticino). Immediately after the events of 1999, 32% of the companies interviewed took measures to reduce the negative consequences (e.g. price reductions, press releases or publicity campaigns). To improve public relations is considered to be an important measure to cope with consequences of natural hazards in the future by 39% of the companies.

Details

Tourism Review, vol. 56 no. 1/2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1660-5373

Keywords

Open Access
Article
Publication date: 4 September 2023

Roberto Bacani Figueroa Jr

The purpose of this study is to describe an educational virtual reality (VR) photo-based tour used in an online course and investigate the influence of immersive capability on the…

Abstract

Purpose

The purpose of this study is to describe an educational virtual reality (VR) photo-based tour used in an online course and investigate the influence of immersive capability on the dimensions of spatial presence and their relationship with learning-related variables.

Design/methodology/approach

The study employs a descriptive and an experimental methodological approach. The research objectives were achieved using a two-group (n1 = 29 and n2 = 30) experiment, employing descriptive statistics, t-test and correlation analysis.

Findings

The t-test revealed that the immersive capability had a significant effect on the sense of physical space (SP) , Engagement (EN) and negative effects (NE) dimensions. Correlations between the dimensions of spatial presence were found to confirm reports from the literature. Furthermore, some of the dimensions were found to be correlated with motivational and learning variables.

Research limitations/implications

The study reported the results of a one-off experiment among 59 participants. While the results were promising, a longitudinal qualitative study could confirm the results in an actual distance learning context.

Practical implications

The study confirmed that adding VR photo-based tours as learning activities may enhance the learning experience of distance learners.

Social implications

The study shared a case of a learning activity that can be employed for flexible education. Virtual tours can support the need for context-based learning that the geographical or political constraints may limit.

Originality/value

While the paper confirms previous reports on the benefits of using VR photo-based tours as learning activities, this paper has empirically shown the relationship between the dimensions of spatial presence and immersive capability in this specialized context.

Details

Asian Association of Open Universities Journal, vol. 18 no. 3
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 1858-3431

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 5 March 2018

Feng Zhang, Jianjun Yang, Zhi Xu and Guilong Zhu

Focusing on internal corporate governance, the purpose of this paper is to apply the shareholder activism perspective to consider how large shareholder participation behaviors…

Abstract

Purpose

Focusing on internal corporate governance, the purpose of this paper is to apply the shareholder activism perspective to consider how large shareholder participation behaviors might influence firm innovation performance. Specifically, “confrontationally strategic intervention” and “cooperatively strategic consensus” participation behaviors are examined and hypothesized to have different effects on managers’ risk-taking and firm innovation performance.

Design/methodology/approach

Drawing on 182 Chinese firm samples, this paper applies hierarchical ordinary least-squares regression analysis to test the proposed hypotheses.

Findings

The results show that strategic intervention was negatively associated with managers’ risk-taking and firm innovation performance, while strategic consensus positively affected managers’ risk-taking and firm innovation performance. Moreover, managers’ risk-taking fully mediated the influence of strategic intervention on firm innovation performance, whereas it partially mediated the influence of strategic consensus on firm innovation performance.

Originality/value

The study extends research on shareholder participation by construing that large shareholders’ participation behaviors can significantly influence managers’ risk-taking and corporate innovation performance, further deepening the understanding of the influences of large shareholders on the firm-level outcomes. The theoretical and practical implications of this finding are also discussed.

Details

Nankai Business Review International, vol. 9 no. 1
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 2040-8749

Keywords

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1967

Von Hochschulprofessor Dkfm. and Paul Bernecker

In den Alpenländern war der beginnende Bergsport ein gewaltiger Antrieb für den Fremdenverkehr. Die Alpinisten müssen daher in einer historischen Sicht der…

Abstract

In den Alpenländern war der beginnende Bergsport ein gewaltiger Antrieb für den Fremdenverkehr. Die Alpinisten müssen daher in einer historischen Sicht der Fremdenverkehrs‐entwicklung als Pioniere des Fremdenverkehrs betrachtet werden. Die erste bergsportliche Vereinigung war der British Alpine Club, der 1857 in London gegründet wurde. 1862 folgte der Österreichische Alpenverein, 1863 der Schweizer Alpenclub und der Club Alpino Italiano. 1869 entstanden der Deutsche Alpenverein und der Österreichische Touristenclub, 1874 der Club Alpin Francais und im gleichen Jahre durch Vereinigung des Österreichischen Alpenvereins in Wien und des Deutschen Alpenvereins in Mnchen der Deutsche und Österreichische Alpenverein. Daneben entstanden aber auch zahlreiche regionale Touristenvereine, wie 1864 der Schwarzwaldverein, 1866 der Club Jurassien in Neuchtel, 1868 der Taunusklub in Frankfurt a. M., 1869 der Steirische Gehirgsverein, u. v. a. m. Die Erforschung und Erschliessung der Bergwelt, Weganlagen und der Bau von Unterknften, vor allem aber die Begeisterung fr die Schönheit bestimmter Gebiete machten die Bergsteiger jener Zeit zu den grossen ungenannten Propagandisten der Alpenländer und ihrer Siedlungen.

Details

The Tourist Review, vol. 22 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0251-3102

Article
Publication date: 1 February 1935

STANLEY SNAITH

THE vogue of the anthology is a peculiar and depressing symptom of contemporary taste. There is a wry significance in the fact that during the past ten years, when poetry has…

Abstract

THE vogue of the anthology is a peculiar and depressing symptom of contemporary taste. There is a wry significance in the fact that during the past ten years, when poetry has almost ceased to count as a cultural influence, anthologies have appeared in flocks. An anthology is a hold‐all, and value‐for‐money has a sure appeal in times of economic and intellectual bankruptcy. It is pleasant and convenient to have several hundred (in one case a thousand) pages of verse in handy compass and at a low price.

Details

Library Review, vol. 5 no. 2
Type: Research Article
ISSN: 0024-2535

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