Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research - Research Publications

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    Evasion vs. real production responses to taxation among firms: bunching evidence from Argentina
    Gamarra Rondinel, A (Universidad de Alcalá. Instituto Universitario de Investigación en Estudios Latinoamericanos (IELAT), 2017-04-03)
    A key idea in public economics is that optimal tax policies and tax instruments can ensure production efficiency even in second-best environments. This theoretical prediction has been widely accepted and put into practice in developed and developing countries. Yet, it has been derived from models that ignore tax evasion. Once enforcement constraints are acknowledged, some studies suggest that –contrary to the theoretical prediction – production efficiency is no longer the centerpiece of the model while instead revenue efficiency becomes more relevant. This paper analyzes empirically such trade-off between revenue and production efficiency in the choice of tax instruments in Argentina. We use a production inefficient tax policy, the simplified tax regime, which affects firms’ behavior on compliance and real output. Using the bunching approach and administrative tax data covering all corporate income tax returns for the years 1997-2011, we show that the asymmetric bunching in Argentina represents intensive and extensive margin responses. Incorporating turnover evasion in an optimal tax model, we find that in Argentina the trade-off is not as clear as in Pakistan because bunching could be the result of less compliance
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    Re-engaging with survey non-respondents: Evidence from three household panels
    Watson, N ; Wooden, M (Wiley, 2014)
    Previous research into the correlates and determinants of non‐response in longitudinal surveys has focused exclusively on why it is that respondents at one survey wave choose not to participate at future waves. This is very understandable if non‐response is always an absorbing state, but in many longitudinal surveys, and certainly most household panels, this is not so. Indeed, in these surveys it is normal practice to attempt to make contact with many non‐respondents at the next wave. This study differs from previous research by examining re‐engagement with previous wave non‐respondents. Drawing on data from three national household panels it is found that the re‐engagement decision is indeed distinctly different from the decision about continued participation. Further, these differences have clear implications for the way that panel surveys should be administered given the desire to enhance overall response rates.
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    Contemporary women's secure psychiatric services in the United Kingdom: A qualitative analysis of staff views
    Walker, T ; Edge, D ; Shaw, J ; Wilson, H ; McNair, L ; Mitchell, H ; Gutridge, K ; Senior, J ; Sutton, M ; Meacock, R ; Abel, K (WILEY, 2017-11)
    UNLABELLED: WHAT IS KNOWN ON THE SUBJECT?: Three pilot UK-only Women's Enhanced Medium Secure Services (WEMSS) was opened in 2007 to support women's movement from high secure care and provide a bespoke, women-only service. Evidence suggests that women's secure services are particularly challenging environments to work in and staffing issues (e.g., high turnover) can cause difficulties in establishing a therapeutic environment. Research in this area has focused on the experiences of service users. Studies which have examined staff views have focused on their feelings towards women in their care and the emotional burden of working in women's secure services. No papers have made a direct comparison between staff working in different services. WHAT DOES THIS STUDY ADD TO EXISTING KNOWLEDGE?: This is the first study to explore the views and experiences of staff in the three UK WEMSS pilot services and contrast them with staff from women's medium secure services. Drawing upon data from eighteen semi-structured interviews (nine WEMSS, nine non-WEMSS), key themes cover staff perceptions of factors important for women's recovery and their views on operational aspects of services. This study extends our understanding of the experiences of staff working with women in secure care and bears relevance for staff working internationally, as well as in UK services. WHAT ARE THE IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE?: The study reveals the importance of induction and training for bank and agency staff working in women's secure services. Further, regular clinical supervision should be mandatory for all staff so they are adequately supported. ABSTRACT: Introduction Women's Enhanced Medium Secure Services (WEMSS) is bespoke, gender-sensitive services which opened in the UK in 2007 at three pilot sites. This study is the first of its kind to explore the experiences of WEMSS staff, directly comparing them to staff in a standard medium secure service for women. The literature to date has focused on the experiences of service users or staff views on working with women in secure care. Aim This qualitative study, embedded in a multimethod evaluation of WEMSS, aimed to explore the views and experiences of staff in WEMSS and comparator medium secure services. Methods Qualitative interviews took place with nine WEMSS staff and nine comparator medium secure staff. Interviews focused on factors important for recovery, barriers to facilitating recovery and operational aspects of the service. Discussion This study provides a rare insight into the perspectives of staff working in UK women's secure services, an under-researched area in the UK and internationally. Findings suggest that the success of services, including WEMSS, is compromised by operational factors such as the use of bank staff. Implications for practice Comprehensive training and supervision should be mandatory for all staff, so best practice is met and staff adequately supported.
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    Social Disadvantage and Education
    Ryan, C (WILEY, 2017-09)
    Abstract ‘Social disadvantage’ has many dimensions studied in various ways in the economics of education. Studies focus on its measurement, the characteristics of those experiencing it, its consequences and interventions to remedy some of its effects. Those likely to experience persistent disadvantage include lone parents, Indigenous Australians, people with disabilities and people with low educational attainment. It is children from these families whose educational progress we should closely monitor. Interventions can improve outcomes for disadvantaged children, but such programs need to be evaluated more rigorously in the future, and their evaluations released publicly to provide a sounder basis for future policy.
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    Welfare and Children's Well-Being
    Ribar, DC (WILEY, 2017-09)
    Abstract This article discusses economic theories that arise from a household production model about the production of children's well‐being and explores how those theories inform features of income redistribution policy. Economic needs within families with children, concerns about interactions between the needs of parents and children, reasons for conditioning benefits or providing benefits directly to children, and the role of social services are each examined and discussed in the context of the Australian Family Tax Benefit program and recent proposals to reform Australian welfare programs.
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    Editors' introduction
    Jones, AM ; Norton, EC ; O'Donnell, O ; Scott, A (WILEY, 2017-09)
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    Rural specialists: The nature of their work and professional satisfaction by geographical location of work
    O'Sullivan, B ; McGrail, M ; Russell, D (WILEY, 2017-12)
    OBJECTIVE: Systematically describe the characteristics of rural specialists, their work and job satisfaction by geographical location of work. DESIGN: Cross-sectional. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: Three thousand, four hundred and seventy-nine medical specialists participating in the 2014 Medicine in Australia: Balancing Employment and Life (MABEL) survey of doctors. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Location of practice, whether metropolitan, large (>50 000 population) or small regional centres (<50 000 population). RESULT: Specialists working in large regional centres had similar characteristics to metropolitan specialists, however, those in small regional centres were more likely men, later career, overseas-trained and less likely to work privately. Rural specialists had more on-call requirements and poorer professional development opportunities. However, satisfaction with work hours, remuneration, variety of work, level of responsibility, opportunities to use abilities and overall satisfaction did not differ. Specialists in general medicine and general surgery were significantly more likely to work rurally compared with anaesthetists, particularly in small regional centres, whereas a range of other relevant specialists had lower than the average rural distribution and paediatricians and endocrinologists were significantly less likely to work in large regional centres. CONCLUSION: Rural specialists are just as satisfied as metropolitan counterparts reporting equivalent variety and responsibility at work. Better support for on-call demands and access to professional development could attract more specialists to rural practice. Increased rural training opportunities and regional workforce planning is needed to develop and recruit relevant specialties. Specifically, targeted support is warranted for training and development of specialists in general medicine and general surgery and overseas-trained specialists, who provide essential services in smaller regional centres.
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    Livelihoods andChild Welfare among Poor Rural Farmers in East Africa
    Inder, B ; Kabore, C ; Nolan, S ; Cornwell, K ; Suarez, DC ; Crawford, A ; Kamara, JK (WILEY, 2017-06)
    Abstract This paper explores aspects of household livelihoods and welfare among poor rural farmers in Kenya, Uganda and Tanzania. The models use data from an extensive cross‐sectional household survey undertaken in 2013 of over 3,500 rural households. Interest is in identifying the main input constraints to improving farm production, with a particular focus on labour constraints, and the impacts of farm production on the well‐being of children — their food security, resilience and engagement in school. The results show low agricultural productivity, and that yields per hectare decline significantly with land size. This is consistent with poor quality land and a labour constraint in agricultural activity: there is insufficient return on labour to justify further investment of effort to cultivate the land, given the typically low‐input, labour‐intensive farming methods. Food shortage models also show that adult labour is relatively unproductive: having more adults in the household produces little reduction in the incidence of food shortages. Overall the results suggest some directions for development interventions, by highlighting that the critical issue for economic and social development among these communities is to improve the productivity of both land and labour.
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    Housing First: Lessons from the United States and Challenges for Australia
    Kertesz, SG ; Johnson, G (Wiley, 2017-06-01)
    Efforts to end long‐term homelessness have embraced a Housing First approach. Housing First emphasises rapid placement of clients into independent, permanent accommodation and eschews traditionally favoured requirements that clients demonstrate sobriety or success in treatment programs prior to being offered housing. Although housing retention rates are superior to those obtained from traditional programs, some claims made on behalf of the Housing First approach remain controversial. The present article reviews results from Housing First research to date, as well as challenges and concerns that remain in regard to clinical outcomes, fidelity of implementation and application in the Australian context.
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    Early Research Findings from Journeys Home: Longitudinal Study of Factors Affecting Housing Stability
    Ribar, DC (WILEY, 2017-06)
    Abstract Journeys Home: Longitudinal Study of Factors Affecting Housing Stability is a national, six‐wave survey of 1,682 disadvantaged Australians who were either homeless or at risk of homelessness. This article summarises findings from more than a dozen initial studies that have conducted multivariate analyses of the survey to investigate the causes and consequences of homelessness and other outcomes. Although homelessness is strongly correlated with many social problems, the multivariate studies that adjust for conditions that co‐occur with homelessness have found far fewer associations. The studies indicate that the experiences and circumstances of homelessness are complex, with different surrounding conditions, durations and paths into and out of homelessness.