Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Small Econometric models'

This thesis focuses on those factors which foster the long-run survival, or continued existence, of the small firm. Using fieldwork methods, new data were gathered in face-to-face interviews with 63 owner-managers of mature small firms in Scotland (average age of 251/2 years). An instrument incorporating novel ways of calibrating organisational change and performance was designed specifically for this study. The unique body of data enabled a number of new hypotheses to be tested in structural econometric models of small firm performance and growth. A mix of quantitative and qualitative data was also used to construct illustrative case studies of seven enterprise profiles. New measures of flexibility and firm-specific turbulence are used to explain the performance of mature small firms, and Heckman sample selection estimation is undertaken of this performance equation. Performance was measured using an index constructed fi-om Likert scales over 28 distinct attributes. It was found that firm- specific turbulence had a large negative effect on performance. Measures of flexibility (viz. agility and speed) enhanced the long run prospects of the mature small firm. Evidence of a trade-off relationship was found between measures of flexibility. Real options logic was found to be useful in interpreting the results. This evidence indicated that entrepreneurs should be alert to precipitators of organisational change, but should not act impulsively in responding to them. The tendency of the long-lived small firm to remain small is considered using structural modelling techniques. In a three-equation simultaneous model, performance, size and a third variable (viz. market extent and size of competitive strategy space) are jointly determined. An array of system estimation techniques (e.g. 2SLS, SSLS, H3SLS) was employed to estimate the behavioural models. A trade-off is found between firm size and performance, thus embedding this result in a larger structural model. It is found that small firms need to adjust downwards in size, and to cultivate a varied competitive strategy in niche or localised markets, to attain higher equilibrium values of performance and to promote longevity.

This dissertation contains a series of essays that provide empirical evidence for Australia on some fundamental predictions of real business cycle models and on the convergence and persistence of real interest rates. Chapter 1 provides a brief introduction to the issues examined in each chapter and provides an overview of the methodologies that are used. Tests of various basic predictions of standard real business cycle models for Australia are presented in Chapters 2, 3 and 4. Chapter 2 considers the question of great ratios for Australia. These are ratios of macroeconomic variables that are predicted by standard models to be stationary in the steady state. Using time series econometric techniques (unit root tests and cointegration tests) Australia great ratios are examined. In Chapter 3 a more restrictive implication of real business cycle models than the existence of great ratios is considered. Following the methodology proposed by Canova, Finn and Pagan (1994) the equilibrium decision rules for some standard real business cycle are tested on Australian data. The final essay on this topic is presented in Chapter 4. In this chapter a large-country, small-country is used to try and understand the reason for the sharp rise in Australia??s share of world output that began around 1990. Chapter 5 discusses real interest rate linkages in the Pacific Basin region. Vector autoregressive models and bootstrap methods are adopted to study financial linkages between East Asian markets, Japan and US. Given the apparent non-stationarity of real interest rates a related issue is examined in Chapter 6, viz. the persistence of international real interest rates and estimation of their half-life. Half-life is selected as a means of measuring persistence of real rates. Bootstrap methods are employed to overcome small sample issues in the estimation and a non-standard statistical inference methodology (Highest Density Regions) is adopted. Chapter 7 reapplies the High Density Regions methodology and bootstrap half-life estimation to the data used in Chapters 2 and 5. This provides a robustness check on the results of standard unit root tests that were applied to the data in those chapters. Main findings of the thesis are as follows. The long run implications of real business cycle models are largely rejected by the Australia data. This finding holds for both the existence of great ratios and when the explicit decision rules are employed. When the small open economy features of the Australian economy are incorporated in a two country RBC model, a country-specific productivity boom seems to provide a possible explanation for the rise in Australia??s share of world output. The essays that examine real interest rates suggest the following results. Following the East Asian financial crisis in 1997-98 there appears to have been a decline in the importance of Japan in influencing developments in the Pacific Basin region. In addition there is evidence that following the crisis Korea??s financial market became less insular and more integrated with the US. Finally results obtained from the half-life estimators suggest that despite the usual findings from unit root tests, real interest rates may in fact exhibit mean-reversion.

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

This thesis aims at analysing some aspects of Venture Capital (VC) and high-tech entrepreneurship. The focus is both at the macroeconomic level, comparing venture capital from an international point of view and Technology-Based Small Firms (TBSF) at company and founder’s level in Belgium. The approach is mainly empirical.

This work is divided into two parts. The first part focuses on venture capital. First of all, we test the impact of VC on productivity. We then identify the determinants of VC and we test their impact on the relative level of VC for a panel of countries.

The second part concerns the technology-based small firms in Belgium. The objective is twofold. It first aims at creating a database on Belgian TBSF to better understand the importance of entrepreneurship. In order to do this, a national survey was developed and the statistical results were analysed. Secondly, it provides an analysis of the role of universities in the employment performance of TBSF.

A broad summary of each chapter is presented below.

PART 1: VENTURE CAPITAL

The Economic Impact of Venture Capital

The objective of this chapter is to perform an evaluation of the macroeconomic impact of venture capital. The main assumption is that VC can be considered as being similar in several respects to business R&D performed by large firms. We test whether VC contributes to economic growth through two main channels. The first one is innovation, characterized by the introduction of new products, processes or services on the market. The second one is the development of an absorptive capacity. These hypotheses are tested quantitatively with a production function model for a panel data set of 16 OECD countries from 1990 to 2001. The results show that the accumulation of VC is a significant factor contributing directly to Multi-Factor Productivity (MFP) growth. The social rate of return to VC is significantly higher than the social rate of return to business or public R&D. VC has also an indirect impact on MFP in the sense that it improves the output elasticity of R&D. An increased VC intensity makes it easier to absorb the knowledge generated by universities and firms, and therefore improves aggregate economic performance.

Technological Opportunity, Entrepreneurial Environment and Venture Capital Development

The objective of this chapter is to identify the main determinants of venture capital. We develop a theoretical model where three main types of factors affect the demand and supply of VC: macroeconomic conditions, technological opportunity, and the entrepreneurial environment. The model is evaluated with a panel dataset of 16 OECD countries over the period 1990-2000. The estimates show that VC intensity is pro-cyclical - it reacts positively and significantly to GDP growth. Interest rates affect the VC intensity mainly because the entrepreneurs create a demand for this type of funding. Indicators of technological opportunity such as the stock of knowledge and the number of triadic patents affect positively and significantly the relative level of VC. Labour market rigidities reduce the impact of the GDP growth rate and of the stock of knowledge, whereas a minimum level of entrepreneurship is required in order to have a positive effect of the available stock of knowledge on VC intensity.

PART 2: TECHNOLOGY-BASED SMALL FIRMS

Survey in Belgium

The first purpose of this chapter is to present the existing literature on the performance of companies. In order to get a quantitative insight into the entrepreneurial growth process, an original survey of TBSF in Belgium was launched in 2002. The second purpose is to describe the methodology of our national TBSF survey. This survey has two main merits. The first one lies in the quality of the information. Indeed, most of national and international surveys have been developed at firm-level. There exist only a few surveys at founder-level. In the TBSF database, information both at firm and at entrepreneur-level will be found.

The second merit is about the subject covered. TBSF survey tackles the financing of firms (availability of public funds, role of venture capitalists, availability of business angels,…), the framework conditions (e.g. the quality and availability of infrastructures and communication channels, the level of academic and public research, the patenting process,…) and, finally, the socio-cultural factors associated with the entrepreneurs and their environment (e.g. level of education, their parents’education, gender,…).

Statistical Evidence

The main characteristics of companies in our sample are that employment and profits net of taxation do not follow the same trend. Indeed, employment may decrease while results after taxes may stay constant. Only a few companies enjoy a growth in both employment and results after taxes between 1998 and 2003.

On the financing front, our findings suggest that internal finance in the form of personal funds, as well as the funds of family and friends are the primary source of capital to start-up a high-tech company in Belgium. Entrepreneurs rely on their own personal savings in 84 percent of the cases. Commercial bank loans are the secondary source of finance. This part of external financing (debt-finance) exceeds the combined angel funds and venture capital funds (equity-finance).

On the entrepreneur front, the preliminary results show that 80 percent of entrepreneurs in this study have a university degree while 42 percent hold postgraduate degrees (i.e. master’s, and doctorate). In term of research activities, 88 percent of the entrepreneurs holding a Ph.D. or a post-doctorate collaborate with Belgian higher education institutes. Moreover, more than 90 percent of these entrepreneurs are working in a university spin-off.

The Contribution of Universities to Employment Growth

The objective of this chapter is to test whether universities play a role amongst the determinants of employment growth in Belgian TBSF. The empirical model is based on our original survey of 87 Belgian TBSF. The results suggest that both academic spin-offs and TBSF created on the basis of an idea originating from business R&D activities are associated with an above than average growth in employees. As most ‘high-tech’ entrepreneurs are at least graduated from universities, there is no significant impact of the level of education. Nevertheless, these results must be taken with caution, as they are highly sensitive to the presence of outliers. Young high-tech firms are by definition highly volatile, and might be therefore difficult to understand.

CONCLUSION

In this last chapter, recommendations for policy-makers are drawn from the results of the thesis. The possible interventions of governments are classified according to whether they influence the demand or the supply of entrepreneurship and/or VC. We present some possible actions such as direct intervention in the VC funds, interventions of public sector through labour market rigidities, pension system, patent and research policy, level of entrepreneurial activities, bankruptcy legislation, entrepreneurial education, development of university spin-offs, and creation of a national database of TBSF.

Doctorat en Sciences économiques et de gestion
info:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublished

Vector autoregression models have become widely used research tools in the analysis of macroeconomic time series. Cointegrated techniques are an essential part of empirical macroeconomic research. They infer causal long-run relationships between nonstationary variables. In this study, six information criteria were reviewed and compared. The methods focused on determining the optimum information criteria for detecting the correct lag structure of a two-variable cointegrated process.

Mestrado em Econometria Aplicada e Previsão
In this paper, a New-Keynesian DSGE model for a small open economy integrated in a monetary union is developed and estimated for the Portuguese economy, using a Bayesian approach. Estimates for some key structural parameters are obtained and a set of exercises exploring the model's statistical and economic properties are performed. A survey on the main events and literature associated with DSGE models that motivated this study is also provided, as well as a comprehensive discussion of the Bayesian estimation and model vali¬dation techniques applied. The model features five types of agents namely households, firms, aggregators, the rest of the world and the government, and includes a number of shocks and frictions, which enable a closer matching of the short-run properties of the data and a more realistic short-term adjustment to shocks. It is assumed from the outset that mone¬tary policy is defined by the union's central bank and that the domestic economy's size is negligible, relative to the union's one, and therefore its specific economic fluctuations have no influence on the union's macroeconomic aggregates and monetary policy. An endogenous risk-premium is considered, allowing for deviations of the domestic economy's interest rate from the union's one. Furthermore it is assumed that all trade and financial flows are per¬formed with countries belonging to the union, which implies that the nominal exchange rate is irrevocably set to unity.

Esta tesis se ocupa de los problemas de la estimación econométrica con muestras pequeñas, en los contextos del los VARs monetarios y de la investigación empírica del crecimiento. Primero, demuestra cómo mejorar el análisis con VAR estructural en presencia de muestra pequeña. El primer capítulo adapta la especificación con prior intercambiable (exchangeable prior) al contexto del VAR y obtiene nuevos resultados sobre la transmisión monetaria en nuevos miembros de la Unión Europea. El segundo capítulo propone un prior sobre las tasas de crecimiento iniciales de las variables modeladas. Este prior resulta en la corrección del sesgo clásico de la muestra pequeña en series temporales y reconcilia puntos de vista Bayesiano y clásico sobre la estimación de modelos de series temporales. El tercer capítulo estudia el efecto del error de medición de la renta nacional sobre resultados empíricos de crecimiento económico, y demuestra que los procedimientos econométricos robustos a incertidumbre acerca del modelo son muy sensibles al error de medición en los datos.
This thesis deals with the problems of econometric estimation with small samples, in the contexts of monetary VARs and growth empirics. First, it shows how to improve structural VAR analysis on short datasets. The first chapter adapts the exchangeable prior specification to the VAR context, and obtains new findings about monetary transmission in New Member States. The second chapter proposes a prior on initial growth rates of modeled variables, which tackles the Classical small-sample bias in time series, and reconciles Bayesian and Classical points of view on time series estimation. The third chapter studies the effect of measurement error in income data on growth empirics, and shows that econometric procedures which are robust to model uncertainty are very sensitive to measurement error of the plausible size and properties.

In this paper, we conducted a Monte Carlo investigation to reveal some charac- teristics of …nite sample distributions of the back…tting (B) and Marginal Integration (MI) estimators for an additive bivariate regression. We are particularly interested in providing some evidence on how the di¤erent methods for the selection of bandwidth, such as the plug-in method, in‡uence the …nite sample properties of the MI and B estimators. We are particularly concerned with the performance of these estimators when bandwidth selection is done based in data driven methods, since in this case the aymptotics properties of these estimators are currently unavailable. The impact of ignoring the dependency between regressors is also investigated. Finally, di¤erently from what occurs at the present time, when the B and MI estimators are used ad-hoc, our objective is to provide information that allows for a more accurate comparison of these two competing alternatives in a …nite sample setting.

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Esta dissertação concentra-se nos processos estocásticos espaciais definidos em um reticulado, os chamados modelos do tipo Cliff & Ord. Minha contribuição nesta tese consiste em utilizar aproximações de Edgeworth e saddlepoint para investigar as propriedades em amostras finitas do teste para detectar a presença de dependência espacial em modelos SAR (autoregressivo espacial), e propor uma nova classe de modelos econométricos espaciais na qual os parâmetros que afetam a estrutura da média são distintos dos parâmetros presentes na estrutura da variância do processo. Isto permite uma interpretação mais clara dos parâmetros do modelo, além de generalizar uma proposta de taxonomia feita por Anselin (2003). Eu proponho um estimador para os parâmetros do modelo e derivo a distribuição assintótica do estimador. O modelo sugerido na dissertação fornece uma interpretação interessante ao modelo SARAR, bastante comum na literatura. A investigação das propriedades em amostras finitas dos testes expande com relação a literatura permitindo que a matriz de vizinhança do processo espacial seja uma função não-linear do parâmetro de dependência espacial. A utilização de aproximações ao invés de simulações (mais comum na literatura), permite uma maneira fácil de comparar as propriedades dos testes com diferentes matrizes de vizinhança e corrigir o tamanho ao comparar a potência dos testes. Eu obtenho teste invariante ótimo que é também localmente uniformemente mais potente (LUMPI). Construo o envelope de potência para o teste LUMPI e mostro que ele é virtualmente UMP, pois a potência do teste está muito próxima ao envelope (considerando as estruturas espaciais definidas na dissertação). Eu sugiro um procedimento prático para construir um teste que tem boa potência em uma gama de situações onde talvez o teste LUMPI não tenha boas propriedades. Eu concluo que a potência do teste aumenta com o tamanho da amostra e com o parâmetro de dependência espacial (o que está de acordo com a literatura). Entretanto, disputo a visão consensual que a potência do teste diminui a medida que a matriz de vizinhança fica mais densa. Isto reflete um erro de medida comum na literatura, pois a distância estatística entre a hipótese nula e a alternativa varia muito com a estrutura da matriz. Fazendo a correção, concluo que a potência do teste aumenta com a distância da alternativa à nula, como esperado.
This dissertation focus on spatial stochastic process on a lattice (Cliff & Ord--type of models). My contribution consists of using Edgeworth and saddlepoint series to investigate small sample size and power properties of tests for detecting spatial dependence in spatial autoregressive (SAR) stochastic processes, and proposing a new class of spatial econometric models where the spatial dependence parameters that enter the mean structure are different from the ones in the covariance structure. This allows a clearer interpretation of models' parameters and generalizes the set of local and global models suggested by Anselin (2003) as an alternative to the traditional Cliff & Ord models. I propose an estimation procedure for the model's parameters and derive the asymptotic distribution of the parameters' estimators. The suggested model provides some insights on the structure of the commonly used mixed regressive, spatial autoregressive model with spatial autoregressive disturbances (SARAR). The study of the small sample properties of tests to detect spatial dependence expands on the existing literature by allowing the neighborhood structure to be a nonlinear function of the spatial dependence parameter. The use of series approximations instead of the often used Monte Carlo simulation allows a simple way to compare test properties across different neighborhood structures and to correct for size when comparing power. I obtain the power envelope for testing the presence of spatial dependence in the SAR process using the optimal invariant test statistic, which is also locally uniformly most powerful invariant (LUMPI). I have found that the LUMPI test is virtually UMP since its power is very close to the power envelope. I suggest a practical procedure to build a test that, while not UMP, retain good power properties in a wider range for the spatial parameter when compared to the LUMPI test. I find that power increases with sample size and with the spatial dependence parameter -- which agrees with the literature. However, I call into question the consensus view that power decreases as the spatial weight matrix becomes more densely connected. This finding in the literature reflects an error of measure because the hypothesis being compared are at very different statistical distance from the null. After adjusting for this, the power is larger for alternative hypothesis further away from the null -- as one would expect.

Energy is central to economic development. It has been established that there is a clear correlation between energy consumption and living standards. Nigeria is a country of very industrious and enterprising people. However, due to non availability of adequate energy in the country, especially in the remote, off grid locations, the entrepreneurial inclination of the average Nigerian living in these locations has been largely stunted. Over the years, successive governments in the country, in realisation of the pivotal role of energy in national development, have explored various options to improve energy supply and availability, but the situation has not experienced any remarkable improvement. This has forced many businesses and households to resort to self provision through generators, often at exorbitant costs. This research work addresses the challenge of energy in remote, off grid locations by appraising the techno economic potential of renewable energy, using Obudu Ranch as a case study. This ranch is the foremost tourism resort in Nigeria, and has played host to a number of international events over the years. Presently, electricity is being generated through the use of diesel powered generating sets. The adjoining communities are currently without electricity, although a few of the residents have acquired generators for self provision, mostly for their domestic use. Aside the high cost associated with this, the discharge of noxious contaminants into the atmosphere is undesirable. The research entailed a working collaboration with some notable Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) that have done extensive ground work in the area for access to some secondary data, as well as a number of corporate and governmental agencies that are relevant to the study. Further, the ranch was visited to establish hands-on, the existing renewable energy sources. A trade-off of these sources was carried out with reference to a number of relevant evaluation parameters to identify the most suited option for addressing the energy challenge. A comparative analysis of this selected source was then made to establish its techno economic potential against the existing source of power generation- diesel powered generating sets, which currently costs R1.5 million annually in running expenses. The findings from this research have established that a Renewable Energy source (mini hydro) is a more cost effective option than the diesel powered gen set, providing a 43% reduction in cost of energy generation, and a 42% reduction in the life cycle cost over the five year of analysis, compared to the status quo. In addition, it is also more environmentally friendly. Conclusively, the findings and recommendations of this research effort, if well implemented, will be beneficial to the ranch, the adjoining communities and other relevant stakeholders.
Thesis (M.Ing. (Development and Management Engineering))--North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2009.

Chan Yeung.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-57).
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Chapter 1 --- Introduction --- p.1
Chapter 2 --- "Literature reviews, contributions of this thesis and the comparison"
Chapter 2.1 --- Literature reviews
Chapter 2.11 --- Endogenous labor supply models --- p.3
Chapter 2.12 --- The CIA models --- p.12
Chapter 2.2 --- Contributions of this thesis and the comparison --- p.17
Chapter 3 --- The Model --- p.20
Chapter 4 --- "Trade restrictions, welfare and employment"
Chapter 4.1 --- Tariff and welfare --- p.26
Chapter 4.2 --- Tariff and employment --- p.30
Chapter 4.3 --- Comparing welfare and employment effects --- p.31
Chapter 4.4 --- "Quotas, welfare, employment and price level" --- p.32
Chapter 5 --- Optimal tariffs --- p.33
Chapter 6 --- Indirect taxation and welfare --- p.40
Chapter 7 --- Conclusion --- p.43
Appendix
Appendix A: Determine the sign of Δ --- p.45
Appendix B: Derivation of equation (4.2) --- p.45
Appendix C: Derivation of equation (4.3) --- p.47
"Appendix D: Quotas, welfare,employment and price level" --- p.48
Appendix E: The derivation of optimal tariff --- p.50
Appendix F: Optimal consumption tax and wage subsidy --- p.53

This thesis addresses interactions between monetary and fiscal policies in a theoretical dynamic stochastic general equilibrium (DSGE) model of a small open economy and in an empirical model under a structural vector error correction model (SVECM). The thesis consists of three essays. The contribution is both theoretical and empirical that enables a better understanding of the complexity of interactions between monetary and fiscal policies in small open economies. The first essay examines the equilibrium determinacy under monetary and fiscal rules. The goal is to investigate how monetary and fiscal policy interactions ensure a unique and non-explosive (determinate) equilibrium for a small open economy. The study focuses when policy makers implement a set of policy mixes to address domestic output price inflation control for monetary policy, debt stabilization for fiscal policy, and joint output stabilization tasks. The result indicates that two policy schemes facilitate a determinate equilibrium. First, monetary policy actively controls inflation when fiscal policy sets a sufficient feedback on debt. Second, monetary policy becomes passive against inflation when fiscal policy is insolvent. Adding output stabilization to each rule simply causes variants of this fundamental. An interest rate rule with output stabilization can be more passive against inflation while providing a stronger response to the output gap. Fiscal policy is required to set higher feedback on debt along with its stronger counter-cyclical policy. The second essay links between the equilibrium determinacy and policy optimization. This essay provides insights into the design of policy mixes and compares determinacy outcomes between two theoretical models of a small open economy: with and without an explicit exchange rate role. This study shows that policy interactions in a small open economy with an endogenous exchange rate is quite sophisticated, especially when a monetary rule is added with an output stabilization task and/or targeted to Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation. Additional concern for monetary policy in an open economy causes a partial offset to its reaction on domestic output price inflation that weakens its effect on the real debt burden. To minimize economic fluctuations, policy makers should mute the role of output stabilization for monetary policy, and set minimum feedback on debt that is compatible with the degree of counter-cyclical fiscal policy. Substantially active response to inflation is satisfactory for monetary policy with CPI inflation targeting. The third essay empirically presents monetary and fiscal policy interactions in Thailand's SVECM suggested by a theoretical DSGE model developed from the previous essays. This essay shows that the DSGE-SVECM model can be supported by Thai data. A shock to monetary policy is effective with a lag. Government spending policy is also effective with a lag and some crowding-out effects on output. An adverse shock in tax policy unexpectedly stimulates the economy, indicating room for enhancing economic growth by relaxing revenue constraint. Monetary policy is mainly implemented to correct a consequence of a fiscal shock on inflation (and also the domestic and foreign shocks), while fiscal policy appears to counter a consequence of the monetary policy shock on output.

Chan Chung Yan.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 57-59).
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Abstract --- p.i
Acknowledgement --- p.iv
Table of Contents --- p.v
List of Figures --- p.vi
Chapter 1. --- Introduction --- p.1
Chapter 2. --- An Illustration with a Small Open Economy Model
Chapter 2.1 --- Review of Obstfeld (1990) --- p.4
Chapter 2.2 --- A Model with Socially-Determined Time Preference --- p.6
Chapter 3. --- Small Open Economy Models with Socially-Determined Time Preference --- p.15
Chapter 3.1 --- The Laursen-Metzler Effect --- p.16
Chapter 3.2 --- Exchange-Rate Dynamics --- p.21
Chapter 3.3 --- Capital Mobility and Devaluation --- p.28
Chapter 4. --- Dynamics of a Small Open Economy Model with Non-Flat Bond Curves --- p.35
Chapter 4.1 --- Downward-Sloping Bond Curve --- p.38
Chapter 4.2 --- Upward-Sloping Bond Curve --- p.38
Chapter 5. --- Investment and Saving in a Small Open Economy Model with Capital Accumulation
Chapter 5.1 --- The Model --- p.41
Chapter 5.2 --- Productivity Shocks --- p.46
Chapter 6. --- Saddle-Path Stability of a Closed Economy Growth Model --- p.49
Chapter 7. --- Conclusion --- p.54
References --- p.57
Appendix --- p.60

Bian Yong.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2003.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 34-37).
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Chapter I. --- Introduction --- p.1
Chapter II. --- Indeterminacy in a Small Open Economy Model with Endogenous Time Preference --- p.4
Chapter 2.1 --- Economic Environment --- p.5
Chapter 2.1.1 --- Technology --- p.5
Chapter 2. 1. 2 --- Dynamic Model --- p.8
Chapter 2.2 --- The indeterminacy result --- p.12
Chapter 2.3 --- Conclusion --- p.12
Chapter III. --- Indeterminacy in a Small Open Economy Model with Endogenous Labor Supply --- p.14
Chapter 3. 1 --- Economic Environment --- p.17
Chapter 3.2 --- Preference --- p.21
Chapter 3.3 --- Dynamics of Equilibrium --- p.24
Chapter 3.4 --- Indeterminacy and Scale Economies --- p.28
Chapter 3. 4. 1 --- Case1 --- p.30
Chapter 3.4.2 --- Case2 --- p.31
Chapter 3.5 --- Conclusion --- p.32
Chapter IV. --- References --- p.34
Chapter V. --- Appendix --- p.38
Chapter 5. 1 --- Technology --- p.38
Chapter 5.2 --- Preference --- p.41
Chapter 5. 3 --- Dynamics of Equilibrium --- p.43
Chapter 5. 3. 1 --- Case1 --- p.49
Chapter 5. 3. 2 --- Case2 --- p.50

Keung Kam-Yin.
Thesis (M.Phil.)--Chinese University of Hong Kong, 2004.
Includes bibliographical references (leaves 72-80).
Abstracts in English and Chinese.
Chapter Chapter 1 --- Overview --- p.1
Chapter Chapter 2 --- Literature Review --- p.5
Chapter 2.1 --- Income growth and pollution --- p.5
Chapter 2.2 --- Environmental regulations and comparative advantage --- p.6
Chapter 2.3 --- Welfare implications : Optimal policy in a second-best world --- p.9
Chapter 2.4 --- Unemployment and the Environment --- p.11
Chapter 2.5 --- Labor Union and International Trade --- p.12
Chapter Chapter 3 --- Tariffs and the Environment --- p.14
Chapter 3.1 --- The model --- p.14
Chapter 3.2 --- Resource Allocation -The effects of import tariffs --- p.19
Chapter 3.3 --- National welfare --- p.23
Chapter 3.4 --- Trade Liberalization --- p.26
Chapter Chapter 4 --- Tariffs，Unemployment and the Environment --- p.28
Chapter 4.1 --- The model --- p.30
Chapter 4.2 --- Resource Allocation - The effects of import tariffs --- p.33
Chapter 4.3 --- National Welfare --- p.37
Chapter 4.4 --- Trade Liberalization --- p.40
Chapter Chapter 5 --- "Tariffs, Labor Unions and the Environment" --- p.42
Chapter 5.1 --- The model --- p.43
Chapter 5.2 --- Resource Allocation - The effects of import tariffs --- p.48
Chapter 5.3 --- National Welfare --- p.52
Chapter 5.4 --- Trade Liberalization --- p.54
Chapter Chapter 6 --- Concluding Remarks --- p.57
Appendix I --- p.60
Appendix II --- p.64
Appendix III --- p.67
References --- p.72

The contribution of this thesis is to build a small macro-econometric model of the Namibian economy, which demonstrates that there is significant statistical support for the hypothesis that there is a contemporaneous relationship between real wage, productivity, unemployment and interest rates in Namibia. This phenomenon has not yet been exploited using macro-econometric modelling, and thus, represents a significant contribution to modelling literature in Namibia. The determination of the sources of unemployment also receives special attention given that high unemployment is a chronic problem in Namibia. All models specified and estimated in the study use the SVAR methodology for the period 1980 to 2013. The study develops a small macro-econometric model using three modular experiments, which include, a basic model, models that separately append demand and exchange rate channels variables to the basic model, and the specification of a small macro-econometric model. The ultimate aim is to find out if monetary policy plays a role in influencing labour market and nominal variables. The hypothesis that the basic real wage, productivity, unemployment rate and interest rate system can be estimated simultaneously is validated. Further, demand and exchange rate channels variables are found to have important additional information, which explains the monetary transmission process, and that shocks to labour market variables affect monetary policy in Namibia. The results also show that the demand channel (import prices and bank credit to the private sector) and the exchange rate channel (nominal exchange rate) variables have important additional information, which affects monetary transmission process in Namibia, which justifies their inclusion in the small macro-econometric model. In addition, shocks to the import price and exchange rate in the macro-econometric model significantly affect labour market variables. However, shocks to bank credit only partially perform as expected, implying that its results need to be considered cautiously. The study further finds that tight monetary policy shocks significantly affect real and nominal variables in Namibia. The results also show that shocks to all variables in the unemployment model significantly affect unemployment, suggesting that the hysteresis assumption is corroborated. This implies that long run aggregate demand is non-neutral in Namibia.
Economics
D. Litt. et Phil. (Economics)

Abstracts in English, Zulu and Southern Sotho
The advent of Basel II Capital Accord has revolutionised credit risk measurement (CRM) to the extent that the once “perceived riskier bank assets” are now accommodated for lending. The Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) sector has been traditionally perceived as a riskier and unprofitable asset for lending activity by Commercial Banks, in particular. But empirical studies on the implementation of the Basel II internal-ratings-based (IRB) framework have demonstrated that SME credit risk is measurable. Banks are still finding it difficult to forecast SME loan default and to provide credit to the sector that meet Basel’s capital requirements. The thesis proposes to construct an empirical credit risk measurement (CRM) model, specifically for SMEs, to ameliorate the adverse effects of SME credit inaccessibility due to high information asymmetry between financial institutions (FI) and SMEs in Zimbabwe. A well-performing and accurate CRM helps FIs to control their risk exposure through selective granting of credit based on a thorough statistical analysis of historical customer data. This thesis develops a CRM model, built on a statistically random sample, known-good-bad (KGB) sample, which is a better representation of the through-the-door (TTD) population of SME loan applicants. The KGB sample incorporates both accepted and rejected applications, through reject inference (RI). A model-based bound and collapse (BC) reject inference methodology was empirically used to correct selectivity bias inherent in CRM domain. The results have shown great improvement in the classification power and aggregate supply of credit supply to the SME portfolio of the case-studied bank, as evidenced by substantial decrease of bad rates across models developed; from the preliminary model to final model designed for the case-studied bank. The final model was validated using both bad rate, confusion matrix metrics and Area under Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) curve to assess the classification power of the model within-sample and out-of-sample. The AUROC for the final model (weak model) was found to be 0.9782 whilst bad rate was found to be 14.69%. There was 28.76% improvement in the bad rate in the final model in comparison with the current CRM model being used by the case-studied bank.
Isivumelwano seBasel II Capital Accord sesishintshe indlela yokulinganisa ubungozi bokunikezana ngesikweletu credit risk measurement (CRM) kwaze kwafika ezingeni lapho izimpahla ezazithathwa njengamagugu anobungozi “riskier bank assets” sezimukelwa njengesibambiso sokuboleka imali. Umkhakha wezamaBhizinisi Amancane naSafufusayo, phecelezi, Small and Medium Enterprise (SME) kudala uqondakala njengomkhakha onobungozi obukhulu futhi njengomkhakha ongangenisi inzuzo, ikakhulu njengesibambiso sokubolekwa imali ngamabhange ahwebayo. Kodwa izifundo zocwaningo ezimayelana nokusetshenziswa nokusetshenziswa kwesakhiwo iBasel II internal-ratings-based (IRB) sezikhombisile ukuthi ubungozi bokunikeza isikweletu kumabhizinisi amancane nasafufusayo (SME) sebuyalinganiseka. Yize kunjalo, amabhange asathola ukuthi kusenzima ukubona ngaphambili inkinga yokungabhadeleki kahle kwezikweletu kanye nokunikeza isikweletu imikhakha enemigomo edingekayo yezimali kaBasel. Lolu cwaningo beluphakamisa ukwakha uhlelo imodeli ephathekayo yokulinganisa izinga lobungozi bokubolekisa ngemali (CRM) kwihlelo lokuxhasa ngezimali ama-SME, okuyihlelo elilawulwa yiziko lezimali ezweni laseZimbabwe. Imodeli ye-CRM esebenza kahle futhi eshaya khona inceda amaziko ezimali ukugwema ubungozi bokunikezana ngezikweletu ngokusebenzisa uhlelo lokunikeza isikweletu ababoleki abakhethekile, lokhu kususelwa ohlelweni oluhlaziya amanani edatha engumlando wekhasimende. Imodeli ye-CRM ephakanyisiwe yaqala yakhiwa ngohlelo lwamanani, phecelezi istatistically random sample, okuluphawu olungcono olumele uhlelo lwe through-the-door (TTD) population lokukhetha abafakizicelo zokubolekwa imali bama SME, kanti lokhu kuxuba zona zombili izicelo eziphumelele kanye nezingaphumelelanga. Indlela yokukhetha abafakizicelo, phecelezi model-based bound-and-collapse (BC) reject-inference methodology isetshenzisiwe ukulungisa indlela yokukhetha ngokukhetha ngendlela yokucwasa kwisizinda seCRM. Imiphumela iye yakhombisa intuthuko enkulu mayelana namandla okwehlukanisa kanye nokunikezwa kwezikweletu kuma SME okungamamabhange enziwe ucwaningo lotho., njengoba lokhu kufakazelwa ukuncipha okukhulu kwe-bad rate kuwo wonke amamodeli athuthukisiwe. Imodeli yokuqala kanye neyokugcina zazidizayinelwe ibhange. Imodeli yokugcina yaqinisekiswa ngokusebenzisa zombili indlela isikweletu esingagculisi kanye negrafu ye-Area under Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) ukulinganisa ukwehlukaniswa kwamandla emodeli engaphakathi kwesampuli nangaphandle kwesampuli. Uhlelo lwe-AUROC lwemodeli yokugcina (weak model) lwatholakala ukuthi luyi 0.9782, kanti ibad rate yatholakala ukuthi yenza i-14.69%. Kwaba khona ukuthuthuka nge-28.76% kwi-bad rate kwimodeli yokugcina uma iqhathaniswa nemodeli yamanje iCRM model ukuba isetshenziswe yibhange elithile.
Basel II Capital Accord e fetotse tekanyo ya kotsi ya mokitlane (credit risk measurement (CRM)) hoo “thepa e kotsi ya dibanka” ka moo e neng e bonwa ka teng, e seng e fuwa sebaka dikadimong. Lekala la Dikgwebo tse Nyane le tse Mahareng (SME) le bonwa ka tlwaelo jwalo ka lekala le kotsi e hodimo le senang ditswala bakeng sa ditshebetso tsa dikadimo haholo ke dibanka tsa kgwebo. Empa dipatlisiso tse thehilweng hodima se bonweng kapa se etsahetseng tsa tshebetso ya moralo wa Basel II internal-ratings-based (IRB) di supile hore kotsi ya mokitlane ya SME e kgona ho lekanngwa. Leha ho le jwalo, dibanka di ntse di thatafallwa ke ho bonelapele palo ya ditlholeho tsa ho lefa tsa diSME le ho fana ka mokitla lekaleng leo le kgotsofatsang ditlhoko tsa Basel tsa ditjhelete. Phuputso ena e ne sisinya ho etsa tekanyo ya se bonwang ho mmotlolo wa kotsi ya mokitlane (CRM) tshebetsong ya phano ya tjhelete ya diSME e etswang ke setsi sa ditjhelete (FI) ho la Zimbabwe. Mmotlolo o sebetsang hantle hape o fanang ka dipalo tse nepahetseng o dusa diFI hore di laole pepeso ya tsona ho kotsi ka phano e kgethang ya mokitlane, e thehilweng hodima manollo ya dipalopalo ya dintlha tsa histori ya bareki. Mmotlolo o sisingwang wa CRM o hlahisitswe ho tswa ho sampole e sa hlophiswang, e leng pontsho e betere ya setjhaba se ikenelang le monyako (TTD) ya batho bao e kang bakadimi ba tjhelete ho diSME, hobane e kenyelletsa bakopi ba amohetsweng le ba hannweng. Mokgwatshebetso wa bound-and-collapse (BC) reject-inference o kentswe tshebetsong ho nepahatsa tshekamelo ya kgetho e leng teng ho lekala la CRM. Diphetho tsena di bontshitse ntlafalo e kgolo ho matla a tlhophiso le palohare ya phano ya mokitlane ho diSME tsa banka eo ho ithutilweng ka yona, jwalo ka ha ho pakilwe ke ho phokotseho ya direite tse mpe ho pharalla le dimmotlolo tse hlahisitsweng. Mmotlolo wa ho qala le wa ho qetela e ile ya ralwa bakeng sa banka. Mmotlolo wa ho qetela o ile wa netefatswa ka tshebediso ya bobedi reite e mpe le mothinya wa Area under Receiver Operating Characteristic (AUROC) ho lekanya matla a kenyo mekgahlelong a mmotlolo kahare ho sampole le kantle ho yona. AUROC bakeng sa mmotlo wa ho qetela (mmotlolo o fokotseng) e fumanwe e le 0.9782, ha reite e mpe e fumanwe e le 14.69%. Ho bile le ntlafalo ya 28.76% ho reite e mpe bakeng sa mmotlolo wa ho qetela ha ho bapiswa le mmotlolo wa CRM ha o sebediswa bankeng yona eo.
Graduate School of Business Leadership
D.B.L.

This thesis consists of four research papers. The first three papers explore the prevalence and significance of time variation within the Australian economy. The final paper is distinct in that it analyzes the effects of economic and policy uncertainty on the Canadian economy. In the first paper (Chapter 2), I address recent concerns that Australian monetary policy is currently less effective than in the past. To investigate this hypothesis, I estimate a time varying structural vector autoregression (SVAR) model. The main result is that monetary policy effectiveness has increased over the sample period, with little evidence to support the claim of a weaker transmission mechanism since the 2007/08 global financial crisis. In the second paper (Chapter 3 – joint with Aubrey Poon), we build on the results in the first paper by investigating the forecasting properties of Gaussian and Student's-t distributed classes of time varying autoregressive models when predicting Australian macroeconomic variables. The main result is that time varying parameters, stochastic volatility and the Student's-t error distribution are all important modeling features of the data. More specifically, a VAR model with the proposed features provides the best inflation and interest rate forecasts over the entire sample. Surprisingly, a simple rolling window autoregressive model provides the best real GDP growth forecasts. In the third paper (Chapter 4 – joint with Aubrey Poon), we build on the results in the first two papers, by quantifying the impacts of international shocks in driving Australian business cycle fluctuations. Our methodology builds on classes of Gaussian and Student's-t distributed, time varying panel VAR models, by proposing a fat-tailed common stochastic volatility factor. We find an important asymmetry in the effects of international shocks, with around 47 percent of negative and 68 percent of positive fluctuations resulting from foreign disturbances. More generally, international shocks have contributed to around half of all Australian business cycle fluctuations over the past two decades. The fourth paper (Chapter 5 – joint with Aubrey Poon, Joshua Chan and Timothy Kam), deviates from the first three papers in that it uses Canadian data. Our objective is to quantify the impacts of uncertainty shocks to the business cycle fluctuations of a small open economy. Using a Bayesian-estimated structural model, we quantify which time-varying risk – in domestic demand or supply conditions, in domestic monetary or fiscal policy, or, in international economic and policy spillovers factors – matter for a small open economy like Canada. Our results suggest that the historical movements in Canadian real GDP are due largely to domestic fiscal- and monetary-policy shocks, and, due to non-negligible time variations in the riskiness of these policy shocks.