Sector Choice Research Articles

Impact of substance type and patient characteristics on the choice of treatment setting for substance use disorder in Belgium

BackgroundSpecialised addiction treatment centers (SAC) and general mental health centers (GMHC) both offer care to people with substance use disorders (SUD) in Belgium, but these sectors often operate in parallel, with little collaboration. This fragmented system may lead to inefficiencies, particularly in the treatment of individuals with dual diagnoses. Despite the recognized challenges, there is limited understanding of the factors that influence whether patients with SUD are treated in SAC or GMHC. ObjectivesThis observational study has two main objectives:1.To examine whether and how the primary substance of abuse influences the choice of either SAC or GMHC.2.To assess whether other factors (e.g. sociodemographics, institution or person who orientated the patient to treatment) play a significant role in determining the type of center where the patient is treated. MethodsThe study used routinely collected data from treatment centers in Belgium from 2019 (Belgian Treatment Demand Indicator). Logistic regression evaluated the weight of drug use and sociodemographic variables for people entering treatment for SUD for the first time (n = 8322). A random forest algorithm was used to study all patients' orientation toward both sectors, across all treatment episodes (n = 29,658). ResultsThe study found that the primary substance significantly influences sector choice. Patients using illicit substances like cannabis, opiates, cocaine, and stimulants are 6–12 times more likely to be treated in an SAC than those using alcohol. Factors such as income source and referral source (e.g. self-referral, general practitioner, etc) also significantly impact patient orientation. ConclusionThese findings highlight the need for better integration between SAC and GMHC to adequately address the complex needs of people with SUD, especially with dual diagnosis.

Career preferences of business students in Norway and Poland: Factors explaining the choice between public and private sector

There is competition between the public and private sectors to attract a highly qualified workforce in business and management. This study contributes to understanding the factors that influence students' choices, which can help make workplaces more attractive. It examines the career preferences of business and management students from Norway and Poland, focusing on their inclinations towards the private and public sectors. A survey questionnaire of students in both countries, analysed with structural equation modelling, revealed a strong inclination (94%) towards the private sector. Key determinants influencing sector choice include perceptions of the public sector's efficiency, valuation of job security, social responsibility, and gender-based preferences. The study confirmed certain pre-existing notions about public sector perceptions while also highlighting regional differences between Polish and Norwegian students. While Poles prioritize job security, likely influenced by the nation's current labour market, Norwegians to a greater degree hold the public sector in high regard and demonstrate a strong sense of social responsibility. Across both nationalities, those valuing high prestige and salaries prefer the private sector. The paper underscores the nuanced factors guiding the career choices of the next generation of professionals.

Assessing individual environmental capital and pro-climate behaviour: A residential sector choice experiment on heating investment preferences

Grasping how individual choices and exogenous factors shape agents' environmental preferences is essential to comprehending societal trends in pro-environmental behaviour. To this end, this paper proposes the concept of “individual environmental capital”. It investigates how an individual's past pro-environmental decisions relate to their future ones, particularly in terms of willingness to pay for improvements in air quality. A randomised information treatment choice experiment was conducted in Poland to gauge individual environmental capital, accounting for physical assets and expressed policy preferences. The investigation found that willingness to pay varied depending on levels of prior investment in environmental assets and declared support for environmental regulations. Results demonstrate that highlighting one's past pro-climate endeavours may fail to differentiate the valuation of environmental protection among those who have already invested in environmental capital. However, it does seem to relate to a higher valuation for those yet to transition their energy systems.

Sectoral Wage Differentials in Bangladesh: A Comparison Between the Government and Other Ownerships

Most of the studies of wage discrimination in Bangladesh have calculated the gap between pairs of sectors, while this study uses multiple sectors using multinomial logit estimation where the sector selection is endogenous. The employment sector is divided into six heterogeneous sectors depending on ownership status. Using QLFS 2016–2017 data from the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics, the probability of being employed in a certain sector is initially estimated by the sector choice equation, and then we estimate both the conditional and unconditional wage gaps between government and other sectors. The estimation result of the sector choice shows that the probability of being included in the government sector mostly depends on educational qualification, and the rural population is mostly included in marginal sectors like individual proprietorship. The decomposition of wage discrimination indicates that government employees have a wage advantage over every other sector, except for females. The decomposition result also suggests that the wage gap is mostly driven by discrimination, with NGOs showing the most discrimination in wages offered, followed by the individual sector. Monitoring the wage structure and implementation of the minimum wage is our main policy recommendation, along with others.

Investigate the role of Certain Explanatory Variables on Risk Aversion and Sorting among Employees in Iraqi Kurdistan

`Understanding the significance of the risk attitude on sorting between public and private workers helps policymakers in introducing reforms in the labor market regulations that prevent oversized public sector jobs and encourage selection into private sector jobs. The current study attempts to assess the role of certain factors such as gender, type of employment and work training on risk aversion among employees in the Kurdistan region of Iraq. Given that public sector jobs provide higher job security than private sector jobs, workers’ risk attitudes can be an important determinant of sector choice. The data of the study was collected from a sample of 300 fourth-stage evenings shift college students from the universities of Sulaimani, Charmo University and Sulaimani Polytechnic University who have already been employed in either the public or private sector. The results of the study indicated that the models containing Gender, Employment type and Work Training as predictors were significant for some of the risk aversion and sorting, particularly 20% and 10% of risk aversion. One-third of risk aversion was found to be related to gender, suggesting that males had reported the aforementioned risk more than females. However, no statistically significant associations were found between 50% of risk aversion and all the independent variables.

Earning Structure and Heterogeneity of the Labor Market: Evidence from DR Congo

Abstract Using 1.2.3 survey data on the Democratic Republic of Congo, we highlight different sectors in the labor market, with ‘higher paid’ sectors that are largely formal and ‘lower paid’ sectors that are largely informal. Based on a linear regression model, we report significant heterogeneity in earnings across sectors, which remain after controlling for aspects of human capital. We use a multinomial logit model to identify sector choice and show, allowing for selection, how returns to human capital differ across these sectors. We find that returns to basic education are important in largely informal sectors and that tertiary education is very important to access the higher paid sectors, but less important than in the lower paid sectors in increasing earnings once there. We then extend this analysis using quantile regression to show how returns differ across the distribution within sectors. Finally, we decompose the earnings gap across sectors and check how characteristics and return on these characteristics affect the cross-sector earnings gap. The earnings gap decomposition shows that workers of the lower paid sectors earn less, not only because they are less skill-endowed but also because they earn lower returns on their skills.

A replication of “Contracting out: For What? With Whom?”

AbstractIn the 1980s, governments around the world adopted New Public Management ideas about inserting competition into government as a way to improve the performance of public organizations. In many nations, contracting out was one method of making governments more businesslike. Yet, there have been few studies of how government contracting behaviors have changed since the early 1980s. We replicate Ferris and Graddy's classic 1986 study of local government production and sector choice to assess how public procurement has changed over the past 35 years. Our findings show that today, contracting out is more commonly used across 25 local government service areas. In contrast to the original study, much of the growth has been in government‐to‐government contracts. For profit firms are also winning more contracts for high transaction cost work, while nonprofits are receiving fewer government contracts in nearly every service area. Our analysis suggests that contracting out remains of the highest importance in 21st‐century governance and that additional research is needed on how to manage contracts to achieve the best value.

Occupational sex segregation in agriculture: Evidence on gender norms and socio‐emotional skills in Nigeria

AbstractOccupational sex segregation is a key driver of the gender gap in earnings. Using data from 11,691 aspiring agribusiness entrepreneurs in Nigeria, this article explores factors that drive sectoral choice, gender differences in the choice decision, and especially the role played by norms around gender roles. When given a choice of 11 agricultural value chains in a government program, we find the majority (54 percent) of the applicants chose to enter into the poultry value chain, and women were more likely to choose poultry than men. This article finds evidence of more restrictive gender norms in Northern Nigeria states, which lowers women's likelihood of entering into agricultural value chains where the potential for profit may be higher. The gender bias in sectoral choice is also attributed to differences in work experience especially in agricultural activities and in the chosen value chain, as well as in land ownership. Women with more experience in male‐dominated agricultural value chains exhibit lower self‐efficacy, which could reflect the challenges they face when deviating from social norms to operate within nontraditional value chains.

Understanding the public-private sector wage gap in Germany: New evidence from a Fixed Effects quantile Approach∗

The public-private sector wage gap is an important labor market indicator, reflecting sectoral differences in wage and recruitment policies. We provide new evidence on this sectoral gap throughout the wage distribution in Germany. Using data from the German Socio-Economic Panel (1984–2017), we decompose the wage gap and control for unobservable factors that endogenously determine the occupational sector choice. Our estimates confirm the result in the literature that women benefit from working in the public sector. For men, we find that they are unambiguously disadvantaged, with higher remuneration in the private sector across the entire wage distribution. This result contrasts with previous findings in the literature. Moreover, our findings show that taking endogenous selection into account substantially changes the decomposition of the gap, and it is crucial for assessing alternative policy measures. • We decompose the public-private sector wage gap in Germany over a long time span. • We adopt a novel approach that takes endogenous sector choice into account. • Women benefit from working in the public sector throughout the wage distribution. • Men are penalized for working in the public sector throughout the wage distribution. • Controlling for selection changes the assessment of alternative policy measures.

Gender disparities among medical students choosing to pursue careers in medical research: a secondary cross-sectional cohort analysis

BackgroundThough the proportion of women in medical schools has increased, gender disparities among those who pursue research careers still exists. In this study, we seek to better understand the main factors contributing to the existing gender disparities among medical students choosing to pursue careers in medical research.MethodsA secondary cross-sectional cohort analysis of previously published data was conducted using a 70-item survey that was sent to 16,418 medical students at 32 academic medical centers, and was IRB exempt from the need for ethical approval at the University of Illinois at Chicago and the University of Pennsylvania. Data was collected from September 2012 to December 2014. Survey results were analyzed using chi-square tests and Cramer’s V to determine gender differences in demographic characteristics (training stage, race/ethnicity, marital status, parental status, financial support, and parental career background), career sector choice, career content choice, specialty choice, foreseeable career obstacles, and perceptions about medical research careers.ResultsFemale respondents were more likely to be enrolled in MD-only programs, while male respondents were more likely to be enrolled in MD/PhD programs. More male students selected academia as their first-choice career sector, while more female respondents selected hospitalist as their first-choice career sector. More female respondents identified patient care and opportunities for community service as their top career selection factors, while more male respondents identified research and teaching as their top career selection factors. Student loan burden, future compensation, and work/life balance were the most reported obstacles to pursuing a career in medical research.ConclusionsThere are many factors from a medical student’s perspective that may contribute to the existing gender disparities in pursuing a career in medical research. While much progress has been made in attracting nearly equal numbers of men and women to the field of medicine, active efforts to bridge the gap between men and women in medical research careers are needed.

Profiling Public Sector Choice: Perceptions and Motivational Determinants at the Pre-Entry Level

The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development now guides public administrations in conveying all their functions. The 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), directly or indirectly, need effective public services and officials for successful implementation. Although working in public entities has been related to ‘a sense of duty and morality’, literature reports that motivation and sense of self-worth among public officials have been declining for many years, which in turn can endanger their performance, diminish their willingness to attend to civic affairs, and become committed to their organisation. Public officials’ motivation has been widely addressed through the lens of public service motivation and public sector motivation. Fewer studies, however, have focused on the factors of choice at a pre-level entry. This paper intends to address this gap by pondering on what influences student’s intention to work in the public sector. Understanding what drives potential future public officials’ motivation is crucial for public service sector effectiveness. Following a case study approach with a sample of 2251 undergraduate and post-graduate students of a Portuguese university, findings show an attribution of similar strengths and shortcomings to public and nonprofit sectors, a more positive perception of the private sector and job stability as the strongest motivation.

Genetics and sector of employment

In this twin study we show that the penchant for a particular sector of employment has a genetic element: monozygotic twins evidencing a greater similarity of sector choice than dizygotic twins. The findings provide interesting evidence of a genetic basis for the choice to track together into the same sector. The effect sizes, though relatively small, raise the practice-based possibilities that management- or nurture-based approaches might be complemented with nature-based applications of recruitment and selection. Thus, while the research on public employee attraction, selection and attrition focuses nearly exclusively on managerial and behavioral approaches, our findings invite researchers to explore genetic aspects of public service attraction as a complementary approach.

Adolescents' attitudes to risk and their employment sector choices in adulthood: Evidence from longitudinal data

AbstractI investigated the effects of adolescents' attitudes toward risk on their choice of employment sector in adulthood. I employed a joint model of employment sector choice and three-dimensional background characteristics to demonstrate that employment preference is an inverse function of the degree of relative risk aversion. Empirical data was obtained from longitudinal data, and a logit model was applied to estimate the effects of the three-dimensional background characteristics on the risk-taking attitudes and employment choices. I observed that individuals with a higher tendency to engage in risky experiences exhibit low risk aversion, and thus, tend to choose a riskier employment sector.

Why people enter and stay in public service careers: the role of parental socialization and an interest in politics

This article examines the effect of parental socialization and interest in politics on entering and staying in public service careers. We incorporate two related explanations, yet commonly used in different fields of literature, to explain public sector choice. First, following social learning theory, we hypothesize that parents serve as role models and thereby affect their children’s sector choice. Additionally, we test the hypothesis that parental socialization leads to a longer stay in public sector jobs while assuming that it serves as a buffer against turnover. Second, following public service motivation process theory, we expect that ‘interest in politics’ is influenced by parental socialization and that this concept, in turn, leads to a public sector career. A representative set of longitudinal data from the Swiss household panel (1999–2014) was used to analyse these hypotheses ( n = 2,933, N = 37,328). The results indicate that parental socialization serves as a stronger predictor of public sector choice than an interest in politics. Furthermore, people with parents working in the public sector tend to stay longer in their public sector jobs. Points for practitioners For practitioners, the results of this study are relevant as they highlight the limited usefulness of addressing job applicants’ interest in politics in the recruitment process. Human resources managers who want to ensure a public-service-motivated workforce are therefore advised to focus on human resources activities that stimulate public service motivation after job entry. We also advise close interaction between universities and public organizations so that students develop a realistic picture of the government as a future employer and do not experience a ‘reality shock’ after job entry.

Informality, innovation, and aggregate productivity growth

AbstractThis paper investigates how the costs of innovation in the formal sector temper or magnify the impacts of traditional policy levers such as taxation on sectoral choice. I embed a decision whether to operate formally or informally into a richer, general equilibrium model. Formal firms are subject to taxation, but they can improve their productivity through process innovation. Informal firms can potentially avoid taxation, and their productivity is determined by productivity growth in the formal sector. I find that changing tax rates from 50% to 60% decreases formal‐sector participation by 20.9%; however, this percentage falls by 10% when the cost of innovation is lower in the formal sector. The model also illustrates how changes in tax policy affect total factor productivity growth by limiting both the number of formal‐sector firms and the intensity of innovation. These results indicate a potential mechanism to induce firms to operate formally or mitigate harmful impacts of necessary tax changes.

Start-ups, job creation, and founder characteristics

Abstract Analyzing data on all US employers in a cohort of entering firms, we document a highly skewed size distribution, such that the largest 5% account for over half of cohort employment at firm birth and more than two-thirds at firm age 7. Analyzing linked survey-administrative data, we find that female, African–American, and younger founders are initially less likely to start large firms. The gender gap persists through firm age 7, while racial and age gaps do not. Education is positively associated with start-up size, except for graduate degrees. Prior entrepreneurship and founding team size are positively associated, but team diversity is not. Specifications with capital and industry controls illuminate roles of financial constraints and sectoral choice.

Profiling recent medical graduates planning to pursue surgery, anesthesia and obstetrics in Brazil

BackgroundLack of providers in surgery, anesthesia, and obstetrics (SAO) is a primary driver of limited surgical capacity worldwide. We aimed to identify predictors of entry into Surgery, Anesthesia, and Obstetrics and Gynecology (SAO) fields and preference of working in the public sector in Brazil which may help in profiling medical students for recruitment into these needed areas.MethodsA questionnaire was applied to all Brazilian medical graduates registered with a Board of Medicine from 2014 to 2015. Twenty-three characteristics were analyzed. Logistic regression was used to determine predictors’ influence on outcome.ResultsThere were 4601 (28.2%) responders to the survey, of which 40.5% (CI 34.7–46.5%) plan to enter SAO careers. Of the 23 characteristics analyzed, eight differed significantly between those who planned to work in SAO and those who did not. Of those eight characteristics, just three were significant predictors in the regression model: preference for working in the hospital setting, having spent more than 70% of their clinical years in practical activities, and valuing the substantial earning potential. These three factors explained only 6.3% of the variance in SAO preference. Within the graduates who preferred SAO careers, there were only two predictors for working in the public sector (“preparatory time before medical school” and valuing “prestige/status”).ConclusionsFactors affecting specialty and sector choice are multifaceted and difficult to predict. Future programs to fill provider gaps should identify methods other than medical student profiling to assure specialty and sector needs are met.

Is formal employment sector hereditary? Determinants of formal/informal sector choice for Mexican male workers

Understanding the relationship between parents’ and sons’ formal employment is essential for promoting social mobility in Mexico. Using the 2011 Survey of Social Mobility in Mexico (EMOVI), this paper contributes to the literature by addressing the intergenerational mobility of employment. Findings show a strong connection between intergenerational employment choices and suggest a positive selection for workers. Individuals with parents who worked in the formal sector are more likely to be enrolled in formal work and vice versa. Also, after controlling for parent’s employment sector, schooling remains as a significant vehicle to transit to the formal sector.

Sector Choice and Sector Regret

Although sector choice theory is improving, we have less understanding of how social entrepreneurs view their sector choices in hindsight, particularly given the various barriers to changing organizational form once a legal entity has been established. This article finds that one in six organizational founders in the fair trade industry regrets their initial sector choice. In addition to defining and examining the prevalence of sector regret, this article also identifies three factors that correlate with the sector preferences of fair trade entrepreneurs postestablishment: general funding and support, the availability of grants, and salary. In other words, money, money, and money. As presaged by Dennis Young in 1983, financial flexibility appears to be a key factor in sector fit. Using semistructured interviews ( n = 46) and a survey ( n = 117), this article examines sector regret and what it tells us about the real differences between the sectors.

Sector Choice and Institutional Regret

One in six organizational founders regrets their initial sector choice. Though sector choice theory is improving, we have less understanding of how social entrepreneurs view these choices in hindsight, particularly given the various barriers to changing organizational form once a legal entity has been established. This paper examines institutional regret and demonstrates that despite diverse factors influencing sector choice, only three factors matter for predicting the later preferences of entrepreneurs: General funding and support, the availability of grants, and salary. In other words, money, money, and money. Using semi- structured interviews (n=46) and quantitative survey methodologies (n=117), this paper examines institutional regret and what it tells us about the real differences between the sectors.