Meng-Wen Tsou

HAPPINESS AND DOMAIN SATISFACTION IN TAIWAN

Happiness and life satisfaction are two empirically correlated but nobreak conceptually different measures of well-being. As an emotional state, happiness is sensitive to sudden changes in mood, whilst satisfaction is regarded as a cognitive or judgmental state. Using estimations from two empirical models, the aim of this study is to examine the determinants of happiness and satisfaction amongst nobreak Taiwanese people in a number of life domains. First of all, we attempt to investigate the individual characteristics of happiness by using an ordered probit model. Secondly, using ordinary least squares, we include an individuals value or attitude variables as nobreak determinants of the level of satisfaction with different life domains.Our results suggest that higher income is associated with a higher level of subjective well-being. Measures of comparison income are significantly negatively correlated with the reported level of happiness and job satisfaction, which supports the hypothesis that well-being depends on income relative to a reference group. Consistent with the results from other countries, married people report a higher degree of happiness and satisfaction, whilst the past experience of unemployment significantly reduces subjective well-being. There is little gender difference in happiness or satisfaction with different domains. Furthermore, individuals personal values have strong effects on both marital satisfaction and job satisfaction. The findings of this paper confirm that the effects of personal characteristics are fundamentally different in terms of happiness and satisfaction with specific domains of life.

Export activity and productivity: Evidence from the Taiwan electronics industry

ConclusionsWe use plant-level panel data for the Taiwanese electrical machinery and electronics industry to examine productivity differentials between exporters and non-exporters. Consistent with other recent literature, we find that exporters are larger, pay higher wages, undertake more investment expenditures in machinery, equipment, and new technology, and are substantially more productive than non-exporters.

Do small plants grow faster? Evidence from the Taiwan electronics industry

Abstract The relationships between plant size, age, labor productivity and growth rates are examined for a sample of Taiwan electronics plants. Plant growth is negatively related to both size and age, and positively related to labor productivity.

Academic achievement of twins and singletons in early adulthood: Taiwanese cohort study.

Objectives To examine the long term effects of low birth weight on academic achievements in twins and singletons and to determine whether the academic achievement of twins in early adulthood is inferior to that of singletons. Design Cohort study. Setting Taiwanese nationwide register of academic outcome. Participants A cohort of 218 972 singletons and 1687 twins born in Taiwan, 1983-5. Main outcome measure College attendance and test scores in the college joint entrance examinations. Results After adjustment for birth weight, gestational age, birth order, and sex and the sociodemographic characteristics of the parents, twins were found to have significantly lower mean test scores than singletons in Chinese, mathematics, and natural science, as well as a 2.2% lower probability of attending college. Low birthweight twins had an 8.5% lower probability of college attendance than normal weight twins, while low birthweight singletons had only a 3.2% lower probability. The negative effects of low birth weight on the test scores in English and mathematics were substantially greater for twins than for singletons. The twin pair analysis showed that the association between birth weight and academic achievement scores, which existed for opposite sex twin pairs, was not discernible for same sex twin pairs, indicating that birth weight might partly reflect other underlying genetic variations. Conclusions These data support the proposition that twins perform less well academically than singletons. Low birth weight has a negative association with subsequent academic achievement in early adulthood, with the effect being stronger for twins than for singletons. The association between birth weight and academic performance might be partly attributable to genetic factors.

EXPORTING AND PRODUCTIVITY GROWTH: EVIDENCE FROM THE TAIWAN ELECTRONICS PLANTS

This paper uses propensity score matching techniques and ordinary least square regressions to examine the relationship between exporting and productivity growth in the Taiwan electronics industry. Using data from three census years, we find that plants with higher productivity growth tend to enter the export market, supporting the self-selection mechanism. The evidence of learning-by-exporting is mixed, however. While the plants exporting throughout the sample period show small differences in productivity growth from non-exporters in the downturn period, continuing exporters outperform non-exporters in the upturn period. Thus, our results suggest that the direction of causality mainly runs from productivity to exporting rather than vice versa.

Worker turnover and job reallocation in Taiwanese manufacturing

The paper examines time-series patterns of job and worker flows in a newly industrializing economy (NIE). Using plant-level data from the Taiwan manufacturing sector, the cyclical behaviour of job reallocation and its relation with worker turnover is analysed. It is found that job reallocation and labour turnover are procyclical, at both the aggregate and (two-digit) industry levels. The share of worker turnover caused by gross job reallocation is 17%, suggesting the majority of observed worker turnover reflects rotations of positions that are neither created or destroyed. There is substantial heterogeneity in plant-specific job and worker turnover patterns. Job creation and job destruction rates are higher among small plants and private-sector plants. The private plants are more dynamic than public plants in terms of worker turnover. Controlling for year and industry effects, it is found that job creation and worker turnover are both higher in export-oriented industries.

Parental age difference, educationally assortative mating and offspring count: evidence from a contemporary population in Taiwan.

Using contemporary population data from Taiwan, we examine the relationships between parental age difference, educationally assortative mating, income and offspring count. Controlling for womens reproductive value (measured by age at first birth), we find that an older husband is associated with fewer offspring, whereas a husband with similar or higher education is associated with more offspring. Concerning resources, we find that womens income is negatively associated with fertility and husbands income is positively associated with fertility among highly educated women. These results are consistent with the view that women compensate for trade-offs between education, income generation and childbearing by seeking mates with a higher status.

Worker flows and job flows in Taiwan

Abstract We analyze worker and job flows in Taiwan. There is simultaneous creation and destruction of jobs and simultaneous hiring and separation at the plant level. This suggests the labor market is more dynamic in Taiwan than in Western economies.

Obesity, Schooling and Health Knowledge: An Empirical Study of Taiwanese Women

Abstract This paper sets out to examine the impacts of schooling and health knowledge on the level of obesity in Taiwan. The results obtained from a sample of Taiwanese females support the hypothesis of Grossman that schooling has a direct positive effect on health by reducing the likelihood of a person being obese. The awareness of obesity–disease relationships and the intake of fiber are negatively associated with obesity; however, the observed schooling–obesity correlation cannot be attributed solely to any differences existing between the health knowledge and awareness of different individuals. Furthermore, in common with the developed nations, the stigma attached to the obesity of women is also found to be widespread within Taiwanese society.