Large Sample Survey Research Articles

Socio-Economic Inequality in the Occurrence of Disability in India: Evidence from a Large Scale Sample Survey

Background: Inequalities in disabilities act as a brake on economic growth and development. As there is no direct mortality associated with disabilities, they remain at the bottom of the government’s priority list. So the studies related to disability in India are limited. Moreover, none of the studies used the inequality measures to understand the inequality in occurrence of these disabilities. Objective: We use data from India Human Development Survey conducted in 2004-05 to test the hypotheses: Occurrence of different kinds of disabilities is not associated with economic condition of the population. Methods: The present study had measured four outcome variables: locomotor disability, visual impairment, hearing impairment and speech disability. Persons who were unable to perform their chores or performed with difficulty were taken as disable. Bivariate analyses rich-poor ratio, Concentration curves, adjusted concentration indices, dominance test were used to understand economic inequality. Binary logistic regression models and Wald test were also used. Results: Findings of the study reject our hypothesis. Findings suggest huge socio-economic inequalities in the occurrence of different kinds of disability. Poorer sections of the society have the disproportionately higher prevalence of all types of disability.

Nature and role of customer satisfaction in the solution business

The paper focuses on the solution business. Here we argue that the strategy can only lead a company to perform better if it encompasses a direct and positive effect on satisfaction with a supplier’s consulting capabilities. Hence we introduce the concept of consulting satisfaction, identify antecedents and analyze its consequences. To do so, we apply a mixed-methods approach. Content analysis from open interviews with company professionals yields a list of antecedents of consulting satisfaction used to devise a set of hypotheses. The latter was translated into a questionnaire based measurement instrument in order to first collect and then analyze data from a larger sample survey. Since three of the antecedents could not be supported by our study, possible explanations are presented. With our approach we tap new dimensions of solutions research. First, we inaugurate research on buying behavior within the field of solutions. Second, we stress the role of capabilities in this field and extend service–profit chain thinking. And third, we present consulting satisfaction as a lever to translate the S-D logic of marketing into more practical applications. To our knowledge this is a novel insight and can help industry decision makers better prepare for the solution business.

THE LBT BOÖTES FIELD SURVEY. I. THE REST-FRAME ULTRAVIOLET AND NEAR-INFRARED LUMINOSITY FUNCTIONS AND CLUSTERING OF BRIGHT LYMAN BREAK GALAXIES ATZ∼ 3

We present a deep LBT/LBC U-band imaging survey (9 deg2) covering the NOAO Bootes field. A total of 14,485 Lyman Break Galaxies (LBGs) at z~3 are selected, which are used to measure the rest-frame UV luminosity function (LF). The large sample size and survey area reduce the LF uncertainties due to Poisson statistics and cosmic variance by >3 compared to previous studies. At the bright end, the LF shows excess power compared to the best-fit Schechter function, which can be attributed to the contribution of $z\sim3$ quasars. We compute the rest-frame near-infrared LF and stellar mass function (SMF) of z~3 LBGs based on the R-band and IRAC [4.5 micro m]-band flux relation. We investigate the evolution of the UV LFs and SMFs between z~7 and z~3, which supports a rising star formation history in the LBGs. We study the spatial correlation function of two bright LBG samples and estimate their average host halo mass. We find a tight relation between the host halo mass and the galaxy star formation rate (SFR),which follows the trend predicted by the baryonic accretion rate onto the halo, suggesting that the star formation in LBGs is fueled by baryonic accretion through the cosmic web. By comparing the SFRs with the total baryonic accretion rates, we find that cosmic star formation efficiency is about 5%-20% and it does not evolve significantly with redshift, halo mass, or galaxy luminosity.

QALY and Productivity Loss: Empirical Evidence for “Double Counting”

ObjectivesWhen quality-adjusted life-years are used for economic evaluation, the controversial issue of “double counting” of productivity loss emerges, particularly given the lack of empirical data. MethodsIn this study, we performed a Web-based, large-sample survey to address the issue of double counting. To determine the influence of income reduction on utility scores, we obtained utility scores of eight health states with three instruction types: a) no instruction, b) instructed to consider income reduction, and c) instructed not to consider income reduction (compensated). Respondents were randomly sampled from the online panel and asked to evaluate 1 of 24 patterns by both standard gamble and time trade-off methods. ResultsA total of 6551 respondents completed the questionnaire. First, despite the lack of instruction on income reduction, many respondents spontaneously assumed lost income. The proportion tended to be higher when considering more severe health states. Second, the degree of assumed income reduction was related to utility scores. For a 10% income reduction, respondents assumed a 0.02- to 0.04-decrease in utility score (both standard gamble and time trade-off methods). Third, utility scores did not change significantly when instruction was given not to consider income reduction (compensated) compared with when no instruction was given. ConclusionsAn assumed income reduction clearly influenced utility scores; however, compensation for lost income failed to sufficiently improve utility scores. In our view, the effect of income on utility scores does not only reflect wage loss. Our results suggest that the impact of double counting is negligible.

A large sample and multi-center survey of the depression and anxiety status of patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome in Guangdong province

Objective To explore the depression and anxiety status of patients with refractory irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)and its subtypes. Methods In this large sample, multi-center, prospective survey(Registration number in Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: ChiCTR-TRC-12001969), the patients who conformed to the Rome III criteria for IBS were recruited from the department of gastroenterology of three hospitals in Guangdong province from June 2012 to September 2012. And 100 healthy subjects from the examination center of hospitals were recruited at the same time. The 17-item Hamilton Depression Rating Scale(HAMD) and the 14-item Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale(HAMA) were used to analyze the depression and anxiety, respectively. Results 9802 patients were collected from department of gastroenterology, and a total of 1128(11.5%) patients were diagnosed as IBS. 601 of questionnaires were collected, including 142 (23.6%)of refractory IBS and 459 (76.4%) of non-refractory IBS.The incidences of depression, anxiety, depression and anxiety and the HAMD, HAMA scores were higher in refractory IBS group than those in the non-refractory IBS and control group, ((66.2% vs 23.3% vs 9.0%), P 0.05). However, the HAMA scores of IBS-D and IBS-M were higher than that of IBS-U((10.10±5.03) vs(7.55±3.22), P<0.05; (12.08±6.89) vs(7.55±3.22), P<0.05). Conclusion The high incidences of depression, anxiety and depression and anxiety, and the serious degrees of depression and anxiety existed in the patients with refractory IBS. And these are the important causes for refractoriness in these patients. Key words: Refractory; Irritable bowel syndrome; Subtypes; Depression; Anxiety

Research for Practice: The Management of Expatriates

AbstractThe objective of this article is to identify expatriate management research questions of interest to international human resource (IHR) managers. We conducted an in‐depth literature review, interviewed a small sample of IHR managers, and reviewed commercially available large sample surveys of IHR managers. Results suggest that IHR managers are concerned about determinants of the decision to accept an offer of expatriation, why expatriates show so little interest in training, perceived equity in rewards, and other areas not well studied to date. The article discusses implications for academics wishing to make their research more relevant to IHR managers and global organizations. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Who Are California’s “Decline to State” Voters?

DOI 10.1515/cjpp-2012-0024 Calif. J. Politics Policy 2013; 5(1): 47–66 Research Article R. Michael Alvarez and J. Andrew Sinclair* Who Are California’s “Decline to State” Voters? Abstract: California has a large, and growing, number of voters who decline to affiliate with a major political party. This study uses a large sample survey from the 2010 election cycle to ask: who are these “decline to state” voters? This article explores their positions on issues, their attitudes toward parties, their opinions on government, their political knowledge and involvement, their 2010 voting preferences, and their voting behavior in general. We find the data supports a nuanced view of California’s “DTS” voters – in some ways more like “independ- ents” and in other ways strikingly partisan. Keywords: California politics; independent voters; decline to state; DTS *Corresponding author: J. Andrew Sinclair, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA, e-mail: jsinclair08@gmail.com R. Michael Alvarez, California Institute of Technology, Pasadena, CA, USA 1 Introduction In June 2012, the unaffiliated voters of California had a new opportunity to influence politics through the “top-two” primary. These unaffiliated (or “non- partisan” or “decline to state”) voters are widely assumed to be “independents”, and under the new law, they could play a central role in selecting candidates. As politicians and pundits examine the results of this new system though, mis- understanding the unaffiliated voters will muddle the picture. In this article, we argue that these voters should not be treated as uniform group of political independents. Assumptions about the unaffiliated voters frame our expectations for the new primary, passed as Proposition 14 in 2010. The Los Angeles Times, in an endorsement of this Proposition, postulated, “It’s a route to more pragmatic officeholders and elections controlled more by voters than by political parties – which is why the Democratic and Republican parties both oppose it so

Can Conditional Cash Transfers Impact Institutional Deliveries? Evidence from Janani Suraksha Yojana in India

Conditional cash transfers (CCTs) are an increasingly popular tool for incentivizing behavior. This paper evaluates impact of one of the largest CCTs in the world, Janani Suraksha Yojana (JSY) in India, on institutional deliveries. Maternal mortality is high in India and JSY aims to reduce it by encouraging institutional deliveries through provision of monetary incentives to women if they deliver in medical facilities, and to local community health workers if they facilitate such deliveries. Exploiting key differences in program design between the ‘low performing’ and the ‘high performing’ States, and utilizing successive rounds of a large national sample survey, this paper shows that institutional deliveries increased rapidly in the low performing States after the launch of the program, albeit with a lag. Pre-existing trends in institutional deliveries or improvement in availability or access to medical facilities do not explain these results.

The Effect of Service Sourcing on Perceived Value Proposition in Servitization

As service becomes increasingly important, many industrial firms have implemented ¡°servitization¡±. In addition, considerable research in both strategy and marketing has addressed business service. This paper focuses on the relationship between different types of service sourcing and perceived value proposition from both the supplier¡¯s perceptive and the customer¡¯s perceptive. In particular, it addresses whether service customer involvement always affects the process of servitization. Using a large sample survey and a focused interview, this study examines the relationship between two types of business service sourcing and customer¡¯s perceived value proposition in terms of economic value, technical/core value and relational/support value. It also considers the moderating effect of service customer involvement on this relationship. The context is the Chinese fine chemical industry. The results show that both of the two kinds of service sourcing can yield economic value and technical/core value to buyers, but that the relational/support value can only be achieved with the mediating role of economic and technical value if customers can acquire knowledge-centric services. The results also suggest that service customer involvement moderates the effect of knowledge-centric service sourcing on customer perceived technical/core value.

Red horizontal branch stars in the Galactic field: A chemical abundance survey

A large sample survey of Galactic red horizontal-branch (RHB) stars was conducted to investigate their atmospheric parameters and elemental abundances. High-resolution spectra of 76 Galactic field stars were obtained with the 2.7 m Smith Telescope at McDonald Observatory. Only the color and the parallax were considered during the selection of the field stars. Equivalent width or synthetic spectrum analyses were used in order to determine the relative abundances of the following elements: proton-capture elements C, N, O and Li, alpha-elements Ca and Si, and neutron-capture elements Eu and La. Additionally, 12 C/ 13 C isotopic ratios were derived by using the CN features mainly located in the 7995 − 8040 spectral region. The evaluation of effective temperatures, surface gravities and 12 C/ 13 C isotopic ratios together with evolutionary stages of the candidates revealed that 18 out of 76 stars in our sample are probable RHBs. Including both kinematic and evolutionary status information, we conclude that we have five thick disk and 13 thin disk RHB stars in our sample. Although RHB stars have been regarded as thick disk members of the Galaxy, the low-velocity RHBs with a solar metallicity in our sample suggests the existence of a large number of thin disk RHBs, which cannot be easily explained by standard stellar evolutionary models.

Temporal Validity of International Investment Agreements: A Large Sample Survey of Treaty Provisions

International investment agreements (IIAs) almost universally define their temporal validity and thus set conditions for States' exit from these treaties.This study presents the results of the survey of language that determines the temporal validity of 2,061 bilateral investment agreements that the 55 economies participating in the OECD-hosted Freedom of Investment Roundtables have concluded with any other economy.The paper summarizes in its first part past and current treaty practice in this regard: how do States design the parameters that define the temporal validity of their treaties and the duration of the obligations contained therein? How has this design evolved over time? Do different kinds of IIAs take different approaches to this matter? Have individual States developed distinct practices or policies?The second part of the paper presents key findings that result from the analysis of treaty practice in a large number of agreements. It highlights characteristics of the provisions on temporal validity employed in IIAs; emphasizes the collective engagement that results from the clauses in IIAs and the consequences of country-specific practice; and suggests questions on intriguing policy choices that a large comparative study reveals.

Oil and gas business risk and opportunities: a report from the 2013 global Ernst &amp; Young survey

This extended abstract discusses the top 10 risks and opportunities for oil and gas companies in 2013, which have been identified in our biannual global survey. It has been said that the difference between a business risk and an opportunity is the organisational speed of recognition and response. In this biannual update to the Ernst &amp; Young oil and gas risk and opportunities report, we provide the latest views about the key risks and opportunities facing the oil and gas sector. Our three-phase approach provides a unique insight into the sectors, leading risks, and opportunities. We interview a panel of industry executives and experts, and ask them to identify the top risks and opportunities, as well as those below the radar that could rise into the top 10 in the years ahead. They are then grouped and aggregated to form a strategic challenge list for the oil and gas sector. The second phase of our research is to conduct a large-sample survey of companies and governments to rank the strategic challenges, obtain forecasts on whether these challenges would be more or less important in the future and discover how leading organisations are responding to them. The third phase of our research is to conduct interviews with leading industry executives to gain insights on how the risks and opportunities impact their organisations and how these executives are managing or preparing for them. The latest edition of the Ernst &amp; Young Oil and Gas Risk and Opportunities Report was released in March 2013.

Dispute Settlement Provisions in International Investment Agreements: A Large Sample Survey

Investor-State dispute settlement mechanisms (ISDS) are an important component of most International Investment Agreements (IIAs) and have significant influence on how disputes between States and investors are resolved.This statistical survey of a large sample of 1,660 bilateral investment treaties (BITs) identifies the main parameters of ISDS regulation in BITs; traces their emergence, frequency and dissemination over time; and highlights past and recent country-specific treaty practice. The survey finds among other things that many countries define the procedural framework thinly compared to advanced domestic procedural frameworks, despite a broad trend toward greater regulation in treaties of parameters of ISDS. Many treaties offer foreign investors a range of procedural choices, such as a choice between arbitration fora.The survey also highlights the diversity that characterizes the design of ISDS: over a thousand different combinations of rules regulating ISDS can be found in only 1,660 bilateral treaties –, with variation found both at editorial and substantial level. Differences in policy approaches between countries are the source of some of this variance, but it appears that much of it may not reflect differences in policy.The study also found little evidence of general convergence of approaches towards regulating ISDS in BITs, or indeed much development in the BIT negotiating practice of a number of countries. A different approach, characterized by significantly more thorough ISDS regulation and pioneered by some countries, seems to spread increasingly in multilateral IIAs and more comprehensive treaties.

PRM4 QALY and Productivity Loss: Empirical Evidence for “Double Counting”

Some insist that productivity loss should not be included in costs when using quality-adjusted life year (QALY) because QALY also reflects the influence of work loss and thus results in “double counting.” “Double counting” of QALY and productivity loss is a controversial issue, particularly given the lack of empirical data addressing the influence of income reduction on utility scores. In this study, we performed a web-based, large-sample survey to address the issue of double counting. To determine the influence of income reduction on utility scores, we obtained utility scores of eight health states with three instruction types: a) no instruction; b) instructed to consider income reduction; and c) instructed not to consider income reduction (compensated). Respondents were randomly sampled from the on-line panel adjusted by age and sex. They were asked to evaluate one of 24 patterns by both standard gamble (SG) and time trade-off (TTO) methods. A total of 6551 respondents completed the questionnaire. Respondent demographics were similar to the Japanese general population. First, despite the lack of instruction on income reduction, many respondents spontaneously assumed lost income. The proportion tended to be higher when considering more severe health states. Second, the degree of assumed income reduction was related to utility scores. For a 10% income reduction, respondents assumed a 0.02 to 0.04 decrease in utility score (both SG and TTO methods). Third, utility scores did not change significantly, even when the decrease in income was compensated. In our view, the effect of income does not only reflect money they lost. An assumed income reduction clearly influenced utility scores, however compensation for lost income fail to improve utility scores. Our results suggest that income does not significantly influence utility scores and that the impact of double counting is negligible.

The prevalence of problem gambling in New Zealand as measured by the PGSI: adjusting prevalence estimates using meta-analysis

Two New Zealand surveys were examined to assess the robustness and reliability of the Problem Gambling Severity Index (PGSI). The PGSI cohered to a single factor in both data sets and had high internal reliability. These features held when separately considering men, women, Māori, Pacific and Asian people. Positive associations were evident between the PGSI and gambling behaviour, accessing gambling intervention services, arguing about gambling, the burden of debt due to gambling, and the co-morbidity of smoking. A meta-analysis of the two surveys establishes a prevalence of .53%. When considering 36 overseas studies this figure is adjusted to .50%. These estimates are around 20% higher than that established by the largest NZ study and 25% lower than the latest study. The use of meta-analysis is recommended to obtain a timely and accurate estimate of the prevalence of problem gambling, especially when repeating a large sample survey is prohibitively expensive.

Innovations in On-Site Survey Administration: Using an iPad Interface at National Wildlife Refuges and National Parks

Rapid advances in tablet technology and the increasing availability of electronic survey applications provide opportunities to streamline on-site human dimensions data collection. This article compares response rates and cost efficiencies of an iPad interface used for on-site survey administration to other types of human dimensions of wildlife survey administration response rates and expenses. Results also illustrate respondents' interface preference from a recent survey administered at National Wildlife Refuges and National Parks across the United States. Refuge and Park visitors enjoyed taking on-site surveys on iPads more than traditional paper surveys, and indicated a preference for taking future surveys on iPads instead of paper (t = 21.64, p < .001, η = .39); iPad survey administration was more cost efficient for large (over 1,350) survey samples, and garnered a higher than average response rate than online and mail surveys, but similar to average response rates for on-site intercept survey administration.

Farmers’ stated preference analysis towards resources use under alternative policy scenarios

This paper considers farmer's stated responses to CAP scenarios, identifies the extent to which these plans would be influenced by the introduction of CAP abolishment from 2014 and considers the implications in terms of likely changes (i.e. increases or decreases in the deployment of chemicals and water resources on the farm). The analysis uses data from a large sample survey of household farmers across 11 case studies in 9 EU countries. Intended responses of farmers to the CAP scenarios are analysed by means of logistic regressions. The results indicate that CAP abolishment would not stimulate strong agricultural changes in resource use, rather it appears to be reinforcing many existing trends, namely towards decreasing chemical use and steadying water use. However, CAP abolishment would impact unevenly on the farm community and different farming situations are associated with different types of reaction. In addition, significant regional differences have been found according to the model regression. Indeed, in the case of New Member States, farmers show a greater preference to decrease chemicals and water use if the current CAP support was abolished. On the basis of the results presented in this paper some policy implications emerge.

The association between mathematics pedagogy and learners’ dispositions for university study

We address the current concerns about teaching‐to‐the‐test and its association with declining dispositions towards further study of mathematics and the consequences for choice of STEM subjects at university. In particular, through a mixed study including a large survey sample of over 1000 students and their teachers, and focussed qualitative case studies, we explored the impact of ‘transmissionist’ pedagogic practices on learning outcomes. We report on the construction and validation of a scale to measure teachers’ self‐reported pedagogy. We then use this measure in combination with the students’ survey data and through regression modelling we illustrate significant associations between the pedagogic measure and students’ mathematics dispositions. Finally, we discuss the potential implications of these results for mathematics education and the STEM agenda.

What are The Best and Worst Times in the Lives of South African Township Dwellers? A Content Analysis of the Self-Defined End-Anchors for Bernheim’s ACSA Scale of Subjective Well-Being

Bernheim’s ACSA, a less conventional measure of subjective well-being originally developed for use in a clinical setting, was applied to a sample of black South African township dwellers (n = 1,020) in the Eastern Cape Province. The Anamnestic Comparative Self Assessment is an experiential self-anchoring scale with concrete anchors (Bernheim in Psychologie medicale 15:1625–1626, 1983). Respondents described the ‘best’ and ‘worst’ periods experienced in their lives in their own words and rated their current life situation within these two extremes that served as the end-anchors of an 11-point rating scale, ACSA. The ACSA score was significantly positively correlated with conventional measures of subjective well-being. The study examined in detail the content of the ACSA anchors, the best and worst periods of respondents’ lives, classified by domain, to gain insights into reference comparisons applied in quality-of-life evaluation in a developing country setting. As was the case in earlier ACSA studies, most domains that served as reference standards were related to the self and family life. However, material living standards, represented by the domains of income, financial security and housing also featured prominently as personal anchors—a reflection of life goals in post-apartheid South Africa. Age, gender, education and self-reported health were associated with the choice of select anchors. The discussion provides pointers for future applications of ACSA in large sample surveys using a pre-coded multiple-choice format for anchor descriptions. It is concluded that the content of ACSA anchors corresponds closely to contemporary definitions of the good life among ordinary South Africans.

Beyond Compliance: Explaining Business Participation in Voluntary Environmental Programs

Government regulators have shown considerable interest in encouraging businesses to participate in voluntary environmental programs and practice environmental stewardship in ways that go beyond what regulations require. At the same time, researchers have increasingly worked to understand how businesses respond to regulatory and other government incentives, seeking to explain in particular why some businesses choose to take additional environmentally protective action even when they are not required to do so. Existing research on such beyond-compliance behavior, however, has drawn primarily on small-sample qualitative research. In this paper, we report findings from a large-sample survey that asked US managers to report on their facilities’ operations and participation in government-sponsored voluntary environmental programs. Our results confirm, and importantly extend, the existing literature in a number of ways. We find that some of the well-accepted outside pressures, such as looming regulation, appear to explain businesses’ ‘beyond-compliance’ decisions, but so too do internal factors that have so far tended to escape the kind of large-scale, systematic analysis we provide here. Facilities that are larger and report greater support from top-level management are more likely to join voluntary programs and otherwise report going beyond the requirements of environmental regulations. Similarly, facilities that exhibit an extroverted disposition and seek out the opinions of outside community and environmental advocacy groups are more likely to go beyond compliance. Our measures of these intra-organizational, dispositional factors remain statistically significant in most or all alternative specifications of our regression models. This study not only confirms the general importance of widely accepted external factors that affect beyond compliance behavior, but also reveals a need to pay greater attention to heretofore relatively neglected internal factors.