Institutional Characteristics Research Articles

College Selectivity, Choice of Major, and Post-College Earnings

<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-family:Times New Roman,Times,serif"><span style="font-size:16px"><span dir="ltr" lang="EN-US"><span style="color:black">College choice and choice of major are the most important decisions for future earnings. It is still unclear, however, what makes a greater difference—college or major—or whether a choice of college matters more for some majors, but not the others. Using cross-classified models and College Scorecard data, I show that a discipline is more consequential for future earnings than a college. The effect of STEM is substantial but is less pronounced at institutions with higher overall median earnings. The effect of college selectivity on earnings is more pronounced for non-STEM disciplines. Institutional characteristics—such as tuition, shares of graduates receiving different forms of financial aid, institutional size and location, and type of college—correlate with earnings of graduates. Racial and gender composition of an educational program correlate with expected earnings of its graduates even after control for other institutional and disciplinary characteristics. Models presented here provide a better understanding of the effect of college and major choices on future earnings.</span></span></span></span></p>

The Determinants of Education-Job Matching for Portuguese Graduates

This paper deals with the determinants of education-job match for higher-education graduates, using a logistic regression model to identify explanatory variables related to sociodemographic, academic trajectory and institutional characteristics. The empirical analysis is based on an anonymous online questionnaire administered to a sample of graduates, from 2014 to 2019, in Portuguese institutions, of which about five hundred observations were made. Although the boundaries between universities and polytechnics are less obvious today, there are still some differences between the two higher-education subsystems regarding education-job match. The main ones are related to the field of study, gender, and the need to move away from home to study and work. Factors that improve the probability of education-job matching, common to both subsystems, were also found, such as having i) studied ‘social sciences, commerce, and law’ and ‘engineering, manufacturing and construction’, ii) attained good final grades, and iii) participated in extracurricular activities involving complementary training.

The State of Education in Kyrgyzstan at the End of the XIX Beginning of the XX Century

This article examines the situation of education at the end of the XlX-beginning of the 20th century in Kyrgyzstan. It describes the methods and ways of education in Kyrgyzstan before the Soviet era, as well as the types of schools and educational institutions. It is known from history that Kyrgyz from ancient times were a people striving for knowledge. With the accession of Kyrgyzstan to Russia, the relationship between the Muslim and Turkic peoples living there intensified, the works of Kyrgyz scientists and historians began to be published. Based on this, it is said that the number of schools, educational institutions, madrasas, as well as the number of students and educated people has increased in Kyrgyzstan. At the end of the XlX-beginning of the 20th century, state educational institutions were opened for the Turkic peoples of the Volga region, the Caucasus and Central Asia. This contributed to the management of a new method of education. The programs of these schools were developed in 1905-1906 at a congress of Muslims in the city of Nizhny Novgorod. In such schools, not only religious classes were held, but also general education classes. In 1901-1902, Russian-native schools of a new type began to appear in Kyrgyzstan. Representatives of the new type of education Jadidists who criticized religious schools with old methods of education, tried to change the general school system in accordance with the requirements of that time. Through these schools, the Muslim population of Russia, including Kyrgyz, began to get acquainted with European civilization. Later, graduates of these schools subsequently formed the basis of the leading intelligentsia of Kyrgyzstan. The article studied some aspects of the organization of a new type of school, the subjects taught were fully consistent with religious beliefs, the national mentality, which positively led to the consciousness of local residents. The features of educational institutions in Kyrgyzstan, the role and importance of educating the younger generation, along with the formation of pre-existing religious madrasah schools and writing culture, were analyzed. The influence along with enlightenment work, knowledge and culture of other peoples and indigenous people, their place and significance before Soviet power were studied. A comprehensive study of the history and culture of Kyrgyzstan on a scientific basis was carried out in the second half of the XlX century.

Academic library expenditures and graduation rates: evidence from four-year colleges and universities in the US

ABSTRACT In the midst of financial challenges, colleges and universities in the United States have significantly cut funding for their academic libraries in the name of enhancing efficiency. Using longitudinal data from the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) on 1,325 four-year colleges and universities, this study finds that total academic library expenditure is positively associated with student graduation rates, net of a wide range of institutional and student-related characteristics. Such findings are evident for total graduation rates as well as graduation rates for students of different racial/ethnic backgrounds. In particular, the positive association between academic library expenditures and graduation rate is most consistently evident for Black students who attend predominantly White institutions (PWIs). The findings reinforce the important role that academic libraries can play for students and shed light on the need for institutions to consider the educational consequences of reducing funding for academic libraries.

Impact of Institutional Practices and Surgical Complexity on Sarcoma Surgery Costs: Driving Efficiency in Value-Based Healthcare.

Sarcomas present a unique challenge within healthcare systems due to their rarity and complex treatment requirements. This study explores the economic impact of sarcoma surgeries across three Swiss tertiary healthcare institutions, utilizing a consistent surgical approach by a single surgeon to eliminate variability in surgical expertise as a confounding factor. By analyzing data from 356 surgeries recorded in a real-world-time data warehouse, this study assesses surgical and hospital costs relative to institutional characteristics and surgical complexity. Our findings reveal significant cost variations driven more by institutional resource management and pricing strategies than by surgical techniques. Surgical and total hospitalization costs were analyzed in relation to tumor dignity and complexity scores, showing that higher complexity and malignancy significantly increase costs. Interestingly, it was found that surgical costs accounted for only one-third of the total hospitalization costs, highlighting the substantial impact of non-surgical factors on the overall cost of care. The study underscores the need for standardized cost assessment practices and highlights the potential of predictive models in enhancing resource allocation and surgical planning. By advocating for value-based healthcare models and standardized treatment guidelines, this research contributes to more equitable and sustainable healthcare delivery for sarcoma patients. These insights affirm the necessity of including a full spectrum of care costs in value-based models to truly optimize healthcare delivery. These insights prompt a reevaluation of current policies and encourage further research across diverse geographical settings to refine cost management strategies in sarcoma treatment.

Motherhood Penalty Revisited: Impacts of Maternity Leave Mandates on Nature of Employment Contracts

In this paper we study the extension of paid maternity leave from 12 weeks to 26 weeks in India to estimate its effect on the contractual arrangements of working women. To identify causal effects, we exploit the variation generated by the institutional features of the policy mandate in India, which applies only to establishments employing 10 workers or more. We find that women are 4.3 percentage points less likely to be employed as regular salaried workers in the establishments as a result of this policy. We also show that there is an increase in the employment of women as unpaid and wage labourers in establishments, but no change takes place in women entrepreneurship. The effects appear to be driven by married and younger women confirming that the extension of maternity leave imposes a motherhood penalty in terms of women’s labor market opportunities.

The crypto world trades at tea time: intraday evidence from centralized exchanges across the globe

AbstractIt is a stylized fact that trading activity, volatility and liquidity in equity and other financial markets follow specific intraday patterns. These patterns are to a large extent determined by institutional features such as exchange trading hours or batch settlement procedures. We analyze the intraday patterns that emerge when these institutional constraints are absent. We compile a large sample of 1940 currency pairs traded on 38 cryptocurrency exchanges located on five continents. These exchanges operate 24 h a day, seven days a week, and settle trades instantly. We find that there are pronounced time-of-day patterns in trading activity, volatility and liquidity. These patterns are remarkably similar across exchanges, time zones and cryptocurrency pairs. Specifically, trading activity, volatility and illiquidity all peak between 16:00 and 17:00 Coordinated Universal Time (UTC), i.e. during U.K. tea time. We find that characteristics of the exchanges (such as their locations) and of the traded currency pairs (e.g. whether two pairs share a common currency) explain some, but not all of the commonality in intraday patterns.

Vocational teachers as policy actors

Linguistic diversity has become a focus in the Norwegian National Curriculum (LK20), which establishes students experiencing “multilingualism as a resource” as a policy intention. This study explores if and how this policy intention corresponds with teachers’ experiences and practices in mainstream vocational education and training (VET). Using the concept of policy enactment developed by Ball et al. (2012) as a theoretical and analytical framework, I analyze the curricular aims set by the LK20 Core Curriculum and a subject-specific VET curriculum, comparing them to the teaching practices reflected in interview data gathered through linguistic ethnographic fieldwork in mainstream Norwegian VET programs in 2020 and 2021. My findings show that (a) the National Curriculum positions vocational teachers as subject-specific, mainly Norwegian-oriented language teachers held to ensure the enactment of “multilingualism as a resource”, even though most vocational teachers are not trained in language education, and that (b) vocational teachers act as interpreters, translators, and relatively passive receivers of language-related policies, also frequently assuming critical positions towards these policies and some organizational features of the educational institution. The study highlights the ambiguous and challenging positions vocational teachers find themselves in, emphasize the necessity of more multilingually-oriented approaches to mainstream vocational education, and show that for language-related policy intentions like “multilingualism as a resource” to be enacted, it is imperative to provide policy actors like vocational teachers with sufficient suitable resources.

The Impact of Agency Problems on Corporate Performance in China

This paper delves into the intricate dynamics of the horizontal agency problem within the realm of corporate governance in China, scrutinizing the inherent conflict of interest between controlling and minority shareholders amidst a backdrop of concentrated ownership. Its core objective is to comprehensively grasp the repercussions of this agency dilemma on firm value and corporate performance. Central to this investigation is the identification and analysis of institutional features that fuel the agency predicament, notably the pre-existing split-share structure and the prevalent establishment of pyramid ownership arrangements. In response to these challenges, this study advocates for two primary approaches to mitigate the agency conundrum: an informal approach driven by cultural factors, particularly rooted in Confucian ethics, and a formal strategy entailing robust legal safeguards and regulatory frameworks. The potential efficacy of these proposed measures in ameliorating conflicts of interest, curbing unethical conduct, and fortifying the rights of minority stakeholders, all while reducing agency costs and enhancing corporate performance.

Document analysis of adaptive sport opportunities at Division-1 universities in the United States

BackgroundIndividuals with disabilities are less likely to participate in physical activity, with the greatest decline in participation during college years. Despite known health benefits, there are significant barriers that limit sport and exercise participation for students with disabilities, including adaptive access. To our knowledge, there has been no comprehensive review conducted to examine the number of adaptive sport offerings on a collegiate level. ObjectiveAssess the availability of adaptive sport opportunities for students at National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division-1 Universities to better understand university-affiliated adaptive sport opportunity for students. MethodsWebsite document analysis was conducted by systematically querying the general homepage, athletics page, and campus recreation websites of each NCAA Division-1 University in the United States (US). Institutional and sport-related characteristics were recorded. ResultsOf the 358 NCAA Division-1 Universities, 20.4 % (73/358) marketed adaptive sport opportunities (recreational, club, and/or intercollegiate), with 3.9 % (11/358) acknowledging intercollegiate adaptive sport programs on their websites. Five percent (6/121) of private institutions, and 28.3 % (67/237) of public institutions reported adaptive sport opportunities. The Northeast region had the fewest number of institutions reporting adaptive sport offerings (4/67, 6.0 %). The most commonly offered sport was adaptive recreation (36/358, 10.2 %), followed by wheelchair basketball (26/358, 7.4 %). ConclusionOver three-quarters of Division-1 Universities in the US lack an online description of adaptive sport opportunity, highlighting the need for expanded resourcing and marketing of adaptive sport at the university level. Future studies are necessary to identify appropriate strategies to effectively promote sport, maximize participation and improve social inclusion.

History and evolution of the healing gardens: Investigating the building-nature relationship in the healthcare setting

Healing gardens, a longstanding feature of medical institutions, have garnered attention from scholars for their health-promoting properties across various stages of research. Through a historical literature review and contemporary case analysis of healing gardens, this research investigates how to achieve therapeutic integration by fostering effective connections between buildings and nature through typological design. Combined with qualitative and design-driven research methodologies, including the use of visualization tools such as drawings, models, and images, six models of building-nature integration in contemporary healthcare architecture are identified. This article bridges a research gap in the field of healing garden design and concludes by demonstrating that “typology” is only a design strategy according to context and building performance. In addition to positions of healing gardens, critical factors such as spatial organization, aesthetics, and sustainability, incorporating elements such as accessibility, readability, comfort, and ecological factors, must be carefully considered to achieve integration.

The zero-debt puzzle in BRICS countries: Disentangling the financial flexibility and financial constraints hypotheses

This study analyzes the zero-debt decisions of BRICS firms using a bivariate probit model. The leading hypotheses are financial flexibility and financial constraints. On the demand-side, our findings reveal that managerial debt aversion, early lifecycle stage, growth opportunities, solvency, and concentrated ownership contribute to the lack of debt. Similarly, a country's institutional quality correlates with firms' debt-free status. On the supply-side, creditors fund companies with poor financial records in countries with robust markets and economic freedom. Financial flexibility and restrictions leading to zero debt are linked to firm and institutional characteristics in emerging countries.

Factors affecting coffee farmers’ access to financial institutions: The case of Bandung Regency, Indonesia

Abstract The development of coffee plants in Indonesia shows increasingly rapid growth to meet both domestic and foreign needs. However, certain farmers are yet to fully utilize their cultivation technology and market opportunities by employing post-harvest techniques to enhance value addition, primarily because of limited access to farming capital. Therefore, this research aimed to identify the potential sources of farming capital and determinant factors in choosing farming sources. In this experiment, the population of coffee farmers in the Pangalengan Subdistrict was surveyed. The sampling method was a proportional random sampling technique based on 235 respondents. To answer the first objective, descriptive analysis was used, while logit regression analysis was carried out for the second objective. The results showed that most farmers (54.66%) depended on internal capital, while the rest used external capital such as banks (28.39%), non-banks (1.69%), and non-formal financial institutions (15.25%). Characteristics of informal non-financial institutions, especially unsecured loans, include repayment in the form of coffee or money, with repayment terms typically set at harvest time. Conversely, formal institutions offer loans with an interest rate of 9% per annum, requiring collateral in the form of securities, and repayment is typically made on a monthly or quarterly basis. In short, factors influencing farmers in accessing credit from financial institutions are the farmer’s age, number of coffee trees, distance to financial institutions, coffee farming income, education, and credit payment deadlines.

A systematic review of students’ habitus in the higher education field: challenge and resilience

ABSTRACT To contribute to the student transition theory and practices through the lens of habitus, this systematic review identifies three prevailing trends and features of the existing literature: non-traditional students in the spotlight and comparisons with traditional students; heterogeneity among non-traditional students (different mechanisms and layers); and the ecology of fields and habitus intertwined with reflexivity, agency, and identity. By categorizing different student groups and comparing their habitus-related problems, responses to those problems, and relevant factors, it reveals the predominant research focus on non-traditional students and problematizes the oversimplified classification of them. Non-traditional students with socioeconomic status (SES)-based, sociocultural origin (SCO)-based, and educational habitus diverge. Moreover, it considers students’ habitus in the ecology of environmental systems, which involve various contexts (e.g. nation, local community, institution, program, etc.), actors (e.g. faculty, staff, peers, family members, etc.), and elements (e.g. previous schooling, intangible features of HE institutions, etc.). Nuanced understandings of differences between habitus transformed to adapt to or transcend the higher education (HE) field, and the complex interplay between habitus and identity are also solicited. These contribute to acknowledging the dynamic transitions of heterogeneous students better and providing practical implications for HE institutions to facilitate student transition, especially non-traditional students’ development, in a tailored manner.

Follow-up computed tomography and unexpected hemostasis in non-operative management of pediatric blunt liver and spleen injury.

While follow-up CT and prophylactic embolization with angiography are often conducted during non-operative management (NOM) for BLSI, particularly in a high-grade injury, the utility of early repeated CT for preventing unexpected hemorrhage remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate whether early follow-up computerized tomography (CT) within 7 days after admission would decrease unexpected hemostatic procedures on pediatric blunt liver and spleen injury (BLSI). A post-hoc analysis of a multicenter observational cohort study on pediatric patients with BLSI (2008-2019) was conducted on those who underwent NOM, in whom the timing of follow-up CT were decided by treating physicians. The incidence of unexpected hemostatic procedure (laparotomy and/or emergency angiography for ruptured pseudoaneurysm) and complications related to BLSI were compared between patients with and without early follow-up CT within 7 days. Inverse probability weighting with propensity scores adjusted patient demographics, comorbidities, mechanism and severity of injury, initial resuscitation, and institutional characteristics. Among 1320 included patients, 552 underwent early follow-up CT. Approximately 25% of patients underwent angiography on the day of admission. The incidence of unexpected hemostasis was similar between patients with and without early repeat CT (8 [1.4%] vs. 6 [0.8%]; adjusted OR, 1.44 [0.62-3.34]; p = 0.40). Patients with repeat CT scans more frequently underwent multiple angiographies (OR, 2.79 [1.32-5.88]) and had more complications related to BLSI, particularly bile leak (OR, 1.73 [1.04-2.87]). Follow-up CT scans within 7 days was not associated with reduced unexpected hemostasis in NOM for pediatric BLSI.

Advertising and Content Differentiation: Evidence from YouTube

Abstract Many media outlets depend on advertising revenue to finance their operations, but the effect of advertising on media outlets’ content choices is largely unexplored. This paper exploits two institutional features from YouTube to show that an exogenous increase in the feasible amount of advertising induces YouTubers to differentiate their video content from their competitors. A plausible mechanism is that YouTubers avoid competition: viewers typically perceive advertising as a nuisance and therefore as an implicit price they have to pay; thus, they could switch to a competitor if a YouTuber increased her advertising quantity. This is less likely, however, if the YouTuber differentiates her content from the mainstream and moves to a niche.

INSTITUTIONAL FACTORS OF THE TECHNOLOGIC ACADEMIC ENTREPRENEURSHIP DYNAMICS

The article deals with identifying the obstacles to the commercialization of academic research results generated by the differences in institutional environment for the production of scientific knowledge and the production of technological products by innovative start-ups. To do this, it gives the characteristics of the above-mentioned institutional environments, as well as patterns of behavior in them that do not have the character of formal or informal institutions. Particular attention is paid to psychological traits of entrepreneurs and their cognitive abilities, which may not be available to teachers and researchers at universities and research organizations. Comparison of the content of these environments gives grounds for distinguishing two types of institutional barriers: the first one is of a general economic nature and can generate significant costs for the work of innovative start-ups; the second one is intra-organizational in nature and can generate high risks of transition from science to commercial industry, preventing researchers and teachers from making decisions about creating innovative technology start-ups. The paper concludes with recommendations to reduce the level of barriers of the second type. In particular, to compensate for the risks associated with possible consequences of failure to create a startup and the difficulties of returning to the field of research activity, university management could legally guarantee a teacher or researcher a return to work in scientific or educational departments of faculties for at least five years after creating a startup.

Features of nursing practice organization in the geriatric center (boarding house)

In recent decades, interest in gerontology has increased significantly. This is explained by the fact that among the most pressing problems facing the world community is the problem of population aging. As in many developed countries of the world, in Russia the number of people aged 80 years and older is increasing. The sharp aging of the population is the most important problem in the life of any state — that is why there is an urgent need to expand gerontological research. Target. Assessment of the existing system for placing elderly and senile people in a geriatric center (boarding house).Results. The working time costs of nursing staff were studied by conducting photo-timing and interviewing; an analysis of existing problems in the organization of nursing practice was carried out; real ways to improve the quality of life of an elderly person living in a boarding house are outlined. Conclusion. As sociological studies show, small boarding houses are indispensable in rural areas, where they take on the character of temporary institutions (for the autumn-winter period), largely solving the problems of many villagers who do not want to permanently move to boarding houses.

Institutional arrangements of government and municipal response to the COVID-19 pandemic

This study proposes a research strategy that treats a government form as a specific arrangement of institutional features and conducts the study of government form at the institutional-feature level. Consistently, it examines how the three core features of a government – CEO (chief executive officer) selection by appointment based on managerial expertise, mayoral election by the council among themselves, and at-large council election – affect municipal COVID response, a highly politicized area. These features are theorized to reduce the intensity of politics and create space for the effective working of public administration, and hypothesized to be positively associated with active COVID response. The hypotheses are confirmed on the whole from the analysis of original survey data gathered during the pandemic from municipalities in eleven western U.S. states. The implications of the findings for the council-manager form of government are discussed.

Getting to the bottom of why children with spina bifida use the emergency department: A qualitative analysis of parent and stakeholder perspectives

Children with Spina Bifida (SB) have considerable healthcare utilization, including Emergency Department use (EDU). We aimed to elicit reasons for EDU using qualitative analysis of interviews with both patient-caregiver dyads and stakeholders. A cohort of children with SB followed at our institution between 2016 and 2020 was identified and patient and clinical characteristics abstracted. Purposeful sampling by age and degree of past EDU was performed. Semi-structured interviews of dyads were performed using iteratively revised interview guides. Spanish-language interviews were conducted by a native Spanish speaker and transcripts professionally translated. Supplemental interviews with stakeholders, namely knowledgeable healthcare professionals, were also conducted. A qualitative framework approach was used for analysis, including open followed by closed independent coding with calculation of inter-rater reliability. A final interpretation of coding reports assessing convergence, divergence, and variation in themes across participant characteristics. 116 families (4 Spanish-speaking) and 7 stakeholders were interviewed. Sampling yielded a heterogenous cohort for EDU (56% with 0-10, 44% with >10 visits) and age (25% 0-4, 44% 5-11, 31%>11 years). IRR was optimal (κ=0.9). Themes in perceived reasons for EDU were 1) desire for "one-stop-shop" care, 2) an emergent medical problem, 3) providers' instructions, 4) negative past healthcare experience, 5) intrinsic caregiver moderators, and 6) temporospatial influences. Themes 1, 2, and 5 predominated in dyads, whereas themes 6, 3, and 5 were most common in stakeholders. Stakeholders focused largely on negative institutional and patient characteristics. Among dyads only, theme #1 was disproportionately emphasized by Spanish-speaking patients. Families desired access to coordinated expert care, testing and imaging. The ED offers this for children with SB, regardless of clinical acuity. This may be especially valued by families with inherent challenges to navigating the healthcare system. Negative experiences in community clinical settings, healthcare provider recommendations and intrinsic parental factors were themes that seemed to contribute to seeking this "one-stop-shop" type of care. Care coordination may reduce ED reliance, but themes for the interviews suggest a systems-based efforts should weave in the community care setting. For both stakeholders and caregivers, the ED represented a valued form of immediate access to multispecialty, expert care and testing in the context of perceived lack of timely, coordinated outpatient care. This may be moderated by intrinsic caregiver factors and negative past experiences. Although stakeholders discussed ideas that fit into patient-caregiver themes, the also uniquely focused on systems-based and patient-caregiver limitations.