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DIW Discussion Papers 1529 / 2015
The interconnection among different choices by the same decision-maker is fairly well established in the literature. Along this line, this paper aims to identify how preferences for electromobility are affected by mode choices for regular trips. With this purpose in mind, a framework based on person- and alternative-specific error components (covariances) is proposed. The method aims to include individual-specific ...
2015| Francisco J. Bahamonde-Birke
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DIW Discussion Papers 1527 / 2015
Although hybrid choice models are fairly popular nowadays, the way in which different types of latent variables are considered into the utility function has not been extensively analysed. Latent variables accounting for attitudes resemble socioeconomic characteristics and, therefore, systematic taste variations and categorizations of the latent variables should be considered. Nevertheless, categorizing ...
2015| Francisco J. Bahamonde-Birke, Juan de Dios Ortúzar
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DIW Discussion Papers 1528 / 2015
This paper addresses the continuity of attitudinal and perceptual indicators in hybrid discrete choice models and the main objective of this work is to compare the consequences of treating the indicators as continuous or ordinal outcomes, given different assumptions about the way in which these are stated. Based on tradition and for computational reasons, such indicators are predominantly treated as ...
2015| Francisco J. Bahamonde-Birke, Juan de Dios Ortúzar
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Report
Veronika Bertram-Hümmer has been honored for her research with the University Meets Microfinance Award. The outstanding section of her doctoral dissertation was also published as a DIW Discussion Paper in collaboration with Kati Krähnert, Head of Development and Security. Their research demonstrates that an index-based weather insurance can help households in developing countries, such as ...
26.11.2015
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DIW Roundup 86 / 2015
Shortly before the upcoming UN climate summit, Angela Merkel wrote in a German newspaper: “With good reason, it is expected from governments and politicians, that they do not longer close their eyes to the pressing scientific results that climate protection requires rapid and vigorous action.” She further calls for a clear negotiation outcome: “The greenhouse gas emissions do not only have to be stabilized, ...
2015| Philipp M. Richter, Hanna Brauers
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DIW Discussion Papers 1526 / 2015
While productivity growth in electricity generation is associated with multiple positive effects from an economic and environmental perspective, measuring it is challenging. This paper proposes a framework to estimate and decompose productivity growth for a sector characterized by multiple technologies. Using a metafrontier Malmquist decomposition and frontier estimation based on stochastic non-smooth ...
2015| Stefan Seifert
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Report
by Franziska Holz, Hanna Brauers and Thorsten Roobeek
Two years ago, DIW Berlin introduced “Familienarbeitszeit”, which offers wage replacement for families in which both partners decide to take on reduced full-time employment (working hours amount¬ing to roughly 80 percent of a full-time job, henceforth referred to as “three-quarters employment”). This study investigates ...
25.11.2015
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Interview
Dr. Holz, what’s the link between the earthquakes that have occurred in the Netherlands and natural gas production?
In the past two or three years, the Netherlands has experienced a very high number of increasingly powerful earthquakes which have also had an impact on property. People are concerned that these earthquakes are triggered by Dutch natural gas extraction destabilizing geological ...
25.11.2015
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DIW Discussion Papers 1525 / 2015
This paper investigates the impact of peer observation on the consumption decisions of rural households in Thailand using a lab-in-the-field experiment. We find that those groups that observe each other show lower within group standard deviation in their decisions. Thus, we find evidence for conformity. Further, we find that individual's consumption choice is influenced by the group choice controlling ...
2015| Antonia Grohmann, Sahra Sakha
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DIW Discussion Papers 1520 / 2015
Informal care by close family members is the main pillar of most longterm care systems. However, due to demographic ageing the need for long-term care is expected to increase while the informal care potential is expected to decline. From a budgetary perspective, informal care is often viewed as a cost-saving alternative to subsidized formal care. This view, however neglects that many family carers ...
2015| Johannes Geyer, Peter Haan, Thorben Korfhage