Tag: O18

WELL-BEING AND QUALITY OF LIFE: DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES IN RURAL AND PERI-URBAN AREAS IN THE NORTH OF PORTUGAL

Teresa SEQUEIRA

Assistant Professor, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) & CETRAD

tsequeir@utad.pt

Herminia GONÇALVES

Assistant Professor, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) & CETRAD

hgoncalves@utad.pt

Bruno SANTOS FRANCISCO

Federal University of São Carlos and Ruralidade Verde, Lda

brunofrancisco@estudante.ufscar.br

António PIRRA

Assistant Professor, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD)

apirra@utad.pt

Veronika JOUKES

Assistant Professor, University of Trás-os-Montes and Alto Douro (UTAD) & CETRAD

veronika@utad.pt

Abstract

Quality of life is a multidimensional concept that has been gaining prominence in works intending to study the level of development of a territory, mainly based on secondary data treated statistically. Other approaches have emerged based on primary data, which is the case of this work.

This study captures the perception of residents in Vila Marim, a small parish in Portugal, about their quality of life by a survey technique based on the WHOQOL-BREF instrument.

The results obtained point to different weightings in the several domains of quality of life. In particular, we would like to point out that peri-urban areas have better indexes in the domains of general quality of life, social relations and the physical domain, while rural areas have better ones in the psychological and environment domains.

Additionally, it was added one open question to the original survey, which made possible to understand that issues related to income and physical security are common to all age groups. Health concerns increase with age as well as governance and basic rights are issues with improved importance. 

These results show different sensitivities about how quality of life is experienced and, therefore, the importance of the methodology and territorial scale used.

This work was done in partnership with local government agents, and its results may serve as a basis for a more direct and immediate action, providing greater effectiveness and efficiency of policies to support the quality of life of residents in Vila Marim, Portugal and in other rural and peri-urban areas.

Keywords: Quality of Life, Low density territories, WHOQOL-BREF methodology, Regional sustainable development, Cohesion policies

JEL classification: I31, O18, R10

 pp. 13-28

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ARE THE REGIONS WITH MORE GENDER EQUALITY THE MORE RESILIENT ONES? AN ANALYSIS OF THE ITALIAN REGIONS

Barbara MARTINI

Researcher of Policy Economics, University of Rome Tor Vergata (Italy)

barbara.martini@uniroma2.it

Marco PLATANIA

Researcher of Applied Economics, University of Catania (IT), Visiting Research Fellowship, University of Winchester (UK)

 marco.platania@unict.it

Abstract

The paper aims to investigate the relationship between gender equality and regional resilience. Literature, primarily regional literature, has shown limited interest in gender. Nevertheless, females and males are employed in different industries, so when a shock hits, it can have a different employment impact in terms of gender and, consequently, in terms of resilience. Regions are specialized in some industries. Regional specialization results from historical, cultural, natural endowments, and social elements. Also, the uneven distribution between females and males within industries involves social, cultural, and economic components. As a result, regional specialization determines an employment distribution that can be unequal regarding gender. This employment distribution is captured by the Dissimilarity Index, which measures the sum of the absolute difference in females’ and males’ distribution over occupations. Therefore, the dissimilarity index emerges as a consequence of regional specialization. This dissimilarity, in turn, could have an impact on resilience. Our results put several significant results forwards. First, there is a relationship between gender segregation and regional specialization. The higher the regional specialization in sectors where the females’ share is low, the higher the dissimilarity. Second, there was a positive relationship between resilience and gender equality from 2008 to 2013. The more gender equality regions are also the more resilient ones. Taking a sectoral occupation is not easy, including social values, cultural components, welfare, education, and soft skill. Policies should also address their efforts to enhance the welfare and social dimensions and break gender stereotypes.

Keywords: Gender, Regional specialization, Dissimilarity, Resilience, Italy

JEL classification: R10, R11, R19, O18

 pp. 71-94

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GROSS JOB – CREATION AND GROSS JOB – DESTRUCTION DETERMINANTS: EMPIRICAL ANALYSE AT MICRO FIRMS DATA LEVEL

Tadeu LEONARDO

Faculty of Economy – Univercity Jos´e Eduardo dos Santos UJES-Angola

tad.eufeca@hotmail.com

Francisco DINIZ

Centre for Transdisciplinary Development Studies (CETRAD); Quinta dos Prados, 5000-801 Vila Real, Portugal, http://www.cetrad.info/

fdiniz@utad.pt

Abstract

This study analyses gross job-creation and gross job-destruction determinants at the firm level for a panel of Portuguese micro firms across four industry sectors, using the Ordinary Leat Square and Fixed Effect econometrics model to analyse a database consisting on 15.686 micro firms, for time period going from 2010 to 2017. It was found that laggard gross job-creation, assets tangibility, financial leverage, profits and the fact firms belong to the construction sector determines gross job-creation. Regarding gross job-destruction,  its was found that this variable is determined by its laggard variable, firm’s size, worker’s tenure and the fact the firm belongs to the hotels and restaurants sector. Finally, findings suggest that a resource-based approach explains gross job-creation and gross job-creation for micro firms by using microdata. This study contributes to the state of the art on the determinants of employment and firing at micro firms’ level as it investigates the importance of the independent variables in explaining micro firm’s labour demand in Portugal.

Keywords: Gross job-creation, gross job-destruction, micro firms, Portugal

JEL classification: M10, O14, O18, O44

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