38 research outputs found
What Makes University Students Happy?
No full textHappiness studies are a growing research area in economics. In this study we focus on the determinants of subjective well-being of a particular sub-population, university students. Different happiness determinants are considered and tested empirically using survey data from Finland. An ordered probit model is applied. We compare the results with those of a similar study conducted among university students in Australia. The findings reveal that the most important influences on students' levels of satisfaction are social relationships, resources and the educational environment, personal goal achieving and extracurricular activities.
Economics of Snowboarding
No full textSince its emergence in the US in the late 1960s and 1970s, snowboarding has become a highly visible feature of popular culture. Images, narratives and representations associated with snowboarding as a cultural form are rich, evocative and wide reaching. Between 1988 and 2003 snowboarding participation increased by 385%. Some estimates suggest that there are 70 million snowboarders in the world.peerReviewe
Economic utopia of the Torah. Economic concepts of the Hebrew Bible interpreted according to the Rabbinical Literature
No full textHebrew Bible offers alternative Economic utopia for building Theocratic society. In this paper, various economic concepts and themes are presented, as found in the Hebrew Bible. These economic concepts include taxation, property rights, labor market, social policy, banking, years of Sabbath and Jubilee, and business cycles. Most economic issues of the Bible are found in the texts of Torah, also known as five Books of Moses. These texts are analyzed by using classical Rabbinical commentaries for better insight. Contrary to the modern Economic theory which is based on the assumptions of scarcity of resources and unlimited needs of consumers, Economics of the Torah is based on God’s resources which are enough for all true needs of His people.Hebrew Bible, History of Economics, History of Economic Thought, Ancient Israel, Judaism
Structural testing of Business Cycles
No full textIn this article, the predictability performance of certain classical business cycle theories are tested against contemporary statistical methods by using Finnish macroeconomic data. Keynesian multiplier- accelerator model derivatives and neo-classical real business cycle models are compared to statistical stochastic time-series methods. Some philosophical considerations on the scientific principles and macroeconomic analysis are extended for applied econometric practice. VAR and SUTSE models are estimated and compared against classical theory implications. It is found that in this case, SUTSE model has a superior forecasting ability and that pure statistical algorithms are the most efficient alternatives for predicting Finnish business cycle data.Business Cycle, Real Business Cycle Theory, VAR, SUTSE, multiplier-acceleration
Interrelationship of economic growth and regional religious properties
No full textDuring the past few years, empirical economic growth modeling has emerged by constructing and testing numerous model and explanatory variable alternatives. One of the most promising recent idea consists that also religious aspects should be included as explanatory variables into economic growth models, therefore capturing influences of culture, moral and ethics. Moral institutions and ethics affect the economic development, as for example, trust and honesty are essential requirements for emerging economic activity. In this paper, analysis of economic growth extends from international to regional level. Religious activities and beliefs are documented over a long time period in many Western economies, making quantitative empirical time series data available. Firstly, following the idea and argumentation by Barro and Mc Cleary (2003a, 2002), “religious production efficiency” measure is constructed and used in economic growth regressions for8 OECD countries, proxying quantifiable dimensions of culture. By using panel estimation methods and additionally time-series estimations for each country, rather than usual cross-country regressions, more information is gained concerning the country specific growth and religion characteristics. Empirical evidence from the panel data estimations seems to suggest that religious beliefs attain more relevance than religious attendance. Religious production efficiency, containing both belief and activity aspects, was not found statistically significant with panel data or with individual 8 OECD countries growth model, except for Finland. Significant coefficient for Finland can be explained by referring to Finland’s unique religious market properties, as the level of religious beliefs have historically been unusually high, and continue to be, in Finland. Secondly, interrelationship of Finland’s religious and economic variables are analyzed in regional level. Three small Finnish cities, all with strong religious Christian revival background, gain positive and significant coefficients when consumer income growth is regressed by religious activity. Nevertheless, more exact understanding on the links between these concepts are essentially needed to better model the economic consequences of cultural, religious and moral variables. Therefore, several suggestions are presented to gain better growth information in the future empirical growth modeling, including better theoretical background, more robust estimation techniques and longer data
Application of Economic Concepts on Religious Behavior
No full textThis survey gathers the current state of research activity on the emerging economic sub-area Economics of Religion. The religious beliefs and activities are analyzed from the viewpoint of economic theory and behavior. The advanced statistical tools and theoretical formulations of economic science can be applied to various problems of religious activity, dogma and social context. Analysis of interrelationship between economic and religious behavior increases our understanding of the nature and behavior of the target subject of economic science scrutiny, homo economicus.Economics of Religion, Religion, homo economicus, Club models, Religious production function
Ansiokas kulttuurimatka jalkapallon historiaan ja erityisesti englantilaiseen urheiluperinteeseen
No full textnonPeerReviewe
Martin Luther’s Business Ethics and the Economic Utopia
No full textThe principle of benevolence is at the root of Martin Luther’s (1483-1546) thinking on society, the economy, and business ethics. Luther was the forerunner of the moral economy. He saw the necessity of strong public authorities, which should take into account the public interest, leading to a tamed self-interest coupled with a certain amount of benevolence. Income differentials inside the society should be kept within limits and poverty should be prevented. Luther accepted just business practices but denounced the logic of maximum profit. He criticized the right to sell a good for as much money as possible. According to Luther, there exists some contrast between a true Christian and commerce. He clearly condemned monopoly and all forms of collusion between sellers. Eschatology was an integral part of his theology as he waited for the coming of the Kingdom of Christ, where the nations would be ruled with righteousness. Before that time, people would need strict rules and temporal authority. Therefore, it can be concluded that Luther had two different economic systems in his thinking: The temporal tamed market economy and the coming eschatological economic system of Christ.peerReviewe
Preaching to the choir? Economic analysis of Church Growth
No full textEconomic theory, applied economic modeling and econometric methods offer advantageous tools for analyzing numerous organizations, institutions and social contexts which are not inherently downright economical by nature, as religious markets. In contemporary rational choice religious market models, church growth is assumed to depend on surplus resources available for church development. These extra resources can exist as volunteer work and extra monetary contributions, delivered by enthusiasts and active members, signaling devotion and personal sacrifice. These inputs produce more members and attendants into churches. These hypotheses are tested by applying religious market data from Finland. Models are estimated by comparing data from the dominant state church and the competitive free-church. Both models seem to give support for previous argumentation, emphasizing the importance of volunteer activism and surplus efforts for the church growth.church growth, rational choice, religion, cost-benefit analysis, voluntary work
