Michał Bernard Pietrzak

Human Development and Quality of Institutions in Highly Developed Countries

The article concentrates on the problem of influence of quality of institutional system in the context of utilizing the potential of knowledge-based economy (KBE) on the human development in highly developed countries. In order to measure the quality of institutional system, a synthetic measure based on multivariate analysis techniques was proposed. To obtain the institutional measure, TOPSIS method was applied. To quantify the institutional factors, the data from Fraser Institute was used. As diagnostic variables of quality of institutions, 29 variables qualified to four aspects of national institutional systems were used: (a) formal regulations influencing entrepreneurship, (b) effectiveness of juridical system in keeping low level of transaction costs and supporting effectiveness of market mechanism, (c) competitive pressure and effectiveness of labor markets, and (d) financial market institutions as a stimulator of development of enterprises with high growth potential. The Human Development Index (HDI) proposed within United Nations Development Programme was used for measuring the quality of life. The estimation of relation between institutions and the human development was made with econometric dynamic panel model. The estimation was made for 24 European Union countries for the years 2004–2010. The econometric analysis shows the positive influence of quality of institutions on the human development in the context of knowledge-based economy in developed countries.

The Analysis of Interregional Migrations in Poland in the Period 2004–2010 Using Panel Gravity Model

W pracy omowiono problem migracji w perspektywie przestrzennej i czasowej . Celem jest ocena intensywności i kierunku wybranego ekonomicznego wplywu zmiennych na wielkośc migracji miedzyregionalnych w Polsce w latach 2004-2010 . Analize przeprowadzono przy uzyciu modelu panelu grawitacyjnego z efektami stalymi . Sytuacja spoleczno-gospodarcza , a zwlaszcza poziom wynagrodzen określa kierunki migracji w Polsce . Znaczne ruchy wciąz wystepują pomiedzy silniejszych gospodarczo regionami. Wskazują one tendencje do uzyskania dodatniego salda migracji .

Multiple Criteria Analysis of European Union Agriculture

The main aim of the article is to analyze differences in agriculture performance across the European Union countries in the years 2010-2013. Special attention was devoted to the results achieved by New Member States. The research was conducted with application of multiple criteria analysis tools: the method proposed by Hellwig and Ward’s clustering method. The research was based on the analysis of the World Bank development indicators. It confirms the existence of significant disparity in the performance of agricultural sectors between the old and new member states of the EU .

Fiscal Contractions in Eurozone in the years 1995-2012: Can non-Keynesian effects be helpful in future deleverage process?

Last global financial crisis has led to massive fiscal stimulation actions in EU which resulted in significant increase of public debt. As a result, in near future EU countries will have to adopt much stricter long term fiscal policy that will be necessary for deleveraging process. In this context the aim of the research is to check whether one can find non-Keynesian effects of fiscal consolidations in Eurozone countries in last decade. If the answer is positive, then could these non-Keynesian effects be significant developing factor. The third scientific question concentrates on the ways the fiscal consolidations were implemented and the potential influence of consolidations strategies on short term growth. The research is based on European Commission and Eurostat fiscal and macroeconomic data for the years 1995–2013. The econometric dynamic panel model based on the concept of conditional convergence was applied. As a complementary method qualitative analysis of cases of significant contractions was used with the concentration on the differences between expansionary and conventional Keynesian cases of fiscal contractions. The research gives some arguments for existence of fiscal transitions channels leading to non-Keynesian effects of fiscal policy, which in the same time can be a factor of conditional convergence.

The modifiable areal unit problem - analysis of correlation and regression

The paper focuses on the issue of the modifiable areal unit problem, which means a possibility of obtaining various results for spatial economic analyses depending on the assumed composition of territorial units. The major research objective of the work is to examine the scale problem that constitutes one of the aspects of the modifiable areal unit problem. Analysis of the scale problem will be conducted for two research problems, namely, for the problem of the causal relationships between the level of investment outlays in enterprises per capita and the number of entities of the national economy per capita, and the issue of the dependence between the registered unemployment rate and the level of investment outlays per capita. The calculations based on the empirical values of those variables have showed that moving to a higher level of aggregation resulted in a change in the estimates of the parameters. The results obtained were the justification for undertaking the realisation of the objective. The scale problem was considered by means of a simulation analysis with a special emphasis laid on differentiating the variables expressed in absolute quantities and ones expressed in relative quantities. The study conducted allowed the identification of changes in basic properties as well as in correlation of the researched variables expressed in absolute and relative quantities. Based on the findings, it was stated that a correlation analysis and a regression analysis may lead to different conclusions depending on the assumed level of aggregation. The realisation of the research objective set in the paper also showed the need to consider the adequate character of variables in both spatial economic analyses and during the examination of the scale problem.

Interpretation of Structural Parameters for Models with Spatial Autoregression

The main purpose of the article is to consider a important issue of spatial econometrics, which is a proper interpretation of structural parameters of econometric models with spatial autoregression. The problem will be considered basing on the example of the spatial SAR model. Another purpose of the article is to make an overview of measures of average spatial impact proposed by the subject literature (see Lesage and Pace 2009). The analysis will include such measures as Average Total Impact to an Observation, Average Total Impact from an Observation, Average Indirect Impact to an Observation, Average Indirect Impact from an Observation and Average Direct Impact. Having considered the above issues, I will introduce a set of three original measures that allow the interpretation of the strength of the impact of the explanatory processes within the spatial SAR model, which take the forms of average direct impact, average indirect impact and average induced impact. The use of this set of measures will be illustrated with the example of the analysis of the unemployment rate in Poland. It must be emphasized that the presented set of measures may also be designated for other spatial models. With the knowledge of the empirical form of the model and of the spatial weight matrix, the set of measures introduced simplifies significantly the complex procedure of the interpretation of the structural parameters for spatial models to the use of merely three values.

The Application Of Local Indicators For Categorical Data (LICD) In The Spatial Analysis Of Economic Development

Abstract The paper makes an attempt to apply local indicators for categorical data (LICD) in the spatial analysis of economic development. The first part discusses the tests which examine spatial autocorrelation for categorical data. The second part presents a two-stage empirical study covering 66 Polish NUTS 3 regions. Firstly, we identify classes of regions presenting different economic development levels using taxonomic methods of multivariate data analysis. Secondly, we apply a join-count test to examine spatial dependencies between regions. It examines the tendency to form the spatial clusters. The global test indicates general spatial interactions between regions, while local tests give detailed results separately for each region. The global test detects spatial clustering of economically poor regions but is statistically insignificant as regards well-developed regions. Thus, the local tests are also applied. They indicate the occurrence of five spatial clusters and three outliers in Poland. There are three clusters of wealth. Their development is based on a diffusion impact of regional economic centres. The areas of eastern and north western Poland include clusters of poverty. The first one is impeded by the presense of three indiviual growth centres, while the second one is out of range of diffusion influence of bigger agglomerations.

Sustainable Development in the European Union in the Years 2004–2013

Implementation of sustainable development strategies is a policy prerequisite for all the European Union countries, which is a result of agreement to realization of such documents as Europe 2020 plan and other more specific international obligations such as agreements on reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. As a result, the progress in creating the conditions for sustainable development achieved by all of the European Union member states should be constantly monitored. The international comparisons in the field should be made with the use of quantitative methods. Thus, the purpose of the research is to examine the progress achieved by European countries in implementing the concept of sustainable development. Special attention was given to the new member states that joined the EU after the year 2004. The research is conducted with the application of the Eurostat data at a macroeconomic level. It is assumed that sustainable development should be treated as a multivariate latent variable. Thus, it can be measured with the application of the Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) methodology that includes confirmatory factor analysis and path analysis used in econometrics. In the article, a hypothetical SEM model for the years 2004–2013 was proposed. The model was based on nine observable variables suggested by the Eurostat for measuring sustainable development phenomena at a national level. The application of the SEM model enabled us to identify the usefulness of the observable variables proposed by the Eurostat. The conducted research showed that the new European Union member states have made significant progress in the field of building conditions for sustainable development.

Analysis of Agrarian Structure in Poland in 1921 and 2002 Based on the Example of Selected Districts

The objective of this article is to present the diversity of the agrarian structure in Poland based on the example of selected neighboring districts. The selected districts, which in the years 1795–1918 (the period when Poland’s area was divided and occupied by three invaders) were located in two different annexed territories, and since 1918 have been the territory of one country—Poland. The analysis of the variation of the agrarian structure employed the Gini coefficient and the average size of farms in individual districts in 1921 and in 2002 was calculated. The obtained results allowed to conclude that the agrarian structure in Poland is considerably spatially differentiated. Undoubtedly one of the reasons is the complex history of Poland’s borderlines. The agrarian structure for selected districts which belonged to the same annexed territory is not significantly different. However, in the case of districts belonging to different annexed territories (even for neighboring districts), the differentiation of the agrarian structure was substantial and it still remains so.

Redefining The Modifiable Areal Unit Problem Within Spatial Econometrics, The Case of the Scale Problem

The paper focuses on the issue of the modifiable areal unit problem (MAUP), which is frequently discussed within spatial econometrics. This issue concerns the changeability of the characteristics of the analysed phenomena under the impact of the change in the composition of territorial units. The article indicates four conditions which need to be fulfilled if the correctness of spatial analyses is to be maintained. Also, the paper introduces the concept of the quasi composition of regions (QCR). It was defined as a set of particular compositions of territorial units for subsequent aggregation scales. Particular compositions of territorial units are selected in a way that allows a correct analysis within the undertaken research problem to be conducted. The chief asset of the paper is the proposal to redefine the concept of the modifiable areal unit problem. Both the scale problem and the aggregation problem were linked to the accepted quasi composition of regions. The redefinition of the concept is vital for the research conducted since analysing phenomena based on compositions of territorial units which are excluded from the quasi composition of regions leads to the formulation of incorrect conclusions. Within the undertaken research problem there exists only one particular composition of territorial units which allows the identification and description of the dependence for analysed phenomena. Within the considered modifiable areal unit problem two potential problems were defined and they can occur while making spatial analyses. The first is the final areal interpretation problem (FAIP) that occurs when the characteristics of phenomena or the dependence are designated for too large region. The other issue is the aggregation scale interpretation problem (ASIP). It occurs when a quasi composition of regions is enlarged by an aggregation scale where the correctness of the results of the undertaken research problem is not preserved. In both cases it is possible to reach a situation where the obtained characteristics will be deprived of the cognitive value.